NASA Funds 19 Citizen Science Proposals Following Substellar Object Cataloging Milestones
What Was Observed (Empirical Data)
NASA has selected 19 new citizen science proposals for funding in 2026 to expand public participation in archival data analysis. In parallel, the Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 collaboration reported that volunteer classifications using the Zooniverse platform now account for the majority of currently cataloged brown dwarfs.
The Reality Check (Anti-Hype Analysis)
This announcement is an administrative funding update rather than a single new physical measurement or telescope detection. Despite the project name Backyard Worlds: Planet 9, the confirmed discoveries are substellar brown dwarfs in the solar neighborhood and do not represent a detection of a ninth major solar system planet.
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NASA Science Releases