Tidal Tales invites public to classify galactic encounters

Gravity tends to sculpt galaxies into symmetrical shapes, but interactions with other galaxies can pull on stars, gas and dark matter and distort those forms. Like the Moon raising tides on Earth, these encounters leave visible features that record a galaxy’s history.

Galaxy Zoo: Tidal Tales invites you to help read that story in galaxy shapes. You will examine images taken by the European Space Agency’s Euclid spacecraft. Anyone with a cellphone or laptop can participate; the project launched online in 2026. Participants view Euclid images, learn to spot evidence of galactic mergers, and answer a short series of questions to help build a clearer picture of how galaxies assemble and evolve.

The tutorial takes about ten minutes, and no prior knowledge is needed. All you need is an internet-connected computer, tablet, or smartphone; the website includes a tutorial and a Field Guide with example galleries. To begin, visit the project website, complete the in-project tutorial, and start identifying signs of galactic interactions.

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