In 2018, volunteers classified 55,000 candidate variable stars; 860,000 classifications helped flag one that became about 100 times fainter

Variable Star Zoo represents a remarkable citizen-science project that rallied over a million volunteers to engage in star classification. Participants successfully discovered a star whose luminous presence has been waning for years, unveiling unique patterns that automated systems overlooked. While the reason behind the dimming remains an enigma under the scrutiny of astronomers, the importance of these citizen classifications as an initial filter before expert analysis is undeniable.