Research Guides: Sky: Citizen Science

Citizen Science

"Citizen science" is the name given to research data collection performed by volunteers who work for free in aid of scientific research:

“[N]ature-loving volunteers in the U.S. contribute a great deal to on-the-ground research, from tracking sea turtles to monitoring the luminance of the night sky. ... The contributions of volunteers are especially important in 2020, as COVID-19 has forced many scientists around the country to postpone or cancel their fieldwork.” (C. Peterson, National Geographic, Sept. 2020)

As Allison Cusick, Ph.D candidate at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, notes:

“When you collaborate with people who aren’t scientists, you gain a whole community of people who are invested in the project.” (Quoted in T.W. Goodman, Washington Post, Dec. 2020)

Get involved and help advance scientific research from your home!

Americans are Observing Nature During the Pandemic, Helping Scientists with Research (C. Peterson, National Geographic, Sept. 2020)
This article from National Geographic discusses the increase in participation seen by a number of citizen science projects related to the pandemic, which helps scientists whose field research was canceled for the same reason.
Citizen Science Allows Laymen to Contribute to Groundbreaking Investigations, Even Without Traveling (T. W. Goodman, Washington Post, Dec. 2020)
A cruise ship adds a route to collect arctic phytoplankton for a scientist in California: one example of citizen science projects done all over the world.

Winter Projects

Globe at Night (NSF)
The Globe at Night project invites citizen scientists to submit their local night sky brightness observations in order to track light pollution around the world. Current goals include tracking particular constellations throughout the year, which vary by month and whether you're in the northern or southern hemisphere. Go outside and let them know what you see!

Anytime Projects

Landslide Reporter (NASA)
Submit landslides that you observe in person or online to NASA's international landslide database.
GLOBE Observer (NASA)
Help NASA scientists better understand the world! Your observations, submitted through the GLOBE Observer app (iOS/Android), give scientists global data to help them better understand satellite images they collect. The areas of focus include "clouds, water (especially as a habitat for mosquitoes), plants (trees and other land cover), and ... change over time."
Aurorasaurus
Aurorasaurus has been tracking citizen contributions of aurora sightings since 2013! A public-private partnership with the New Mexico Consortium supported by the National Science Foundation and NASA (NSSEC), Aurorasaurus encourages submissions of aurora sightings as well as verification of social media posts to create an international map of auroras for use in space weather research.
Catalina Outer Solar System Survey (NASA)
Look through archival data from the Catalina Sky Survey (CSS) to see if you can discover new Trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs)!

If you like citizen science, here are some other ideas!

CitizenScience.gov
Following the Crowdsourcing and Citizen Science Act of 2016 (15 USC 3724), CitizenScience.gov is the federal government's website for all federally supported citizen science projects as well as the necessary guidelines for researchers who are looking to create a citizen science project. Narrow the current list of open projects by field of science to find one that interests you!
NASA Citizen Science Projects
The full list of current projects open to citizen contributions.
Citizen Science Projects (National Geographic)
This list of citizen science projects from National Geographic includes projects on birds, space, water, and weather.
SciStarter (ASU and other organizations)
SciStarter is a website that connects citizen scientists with active research projects, managed by Arizona State University and supported by several other organizations including the National Science Foundation.

Apps

GLOBE Observer (NASA; iOS/Android)
The GLOBE Observer app from NASA lets you help NASA scientists by submitting "environmental observations that complement NASA satellite observations to help scientists studying Earth and the global environment," particularly focused on Clouds, Mosquito Habitats, Land Cover and Trees.

Books about Citizen Science

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The Incidental Steward: Reflections on Citizen Science by Akiko Busch; Debby Cotter Kaspari (Illustrator)
Call Number: Ebook
ISBN: 9780300195088
Publication Date: 2013-04-22
Citizen Science: Public Participation in Environmental Research by Janis L. Dickinson (Editor); Richard E. Bonney (Editor)
Call Number: Ebook
ISBN: 9780801463952
Publication Date: 2012-04-07