Aurorasaurus

Auroras, sometimes called “northern lights” or “southern lights," are mesmerizingly beautiful. To scientists, auroras are also the visible manifestation of the solar wind - the flow of charged particles from the Sun - interacting with the magnetosphere of the Earth. Help track auroras around the world with the Aurorasaurus project! Each verified report of an aurora serves as a valuable data point for scientists who model these phenomena.

Go to Project Website

ages

18 and up

division

Heliophysics

where

Mid to high latitudes to observe; online to classify

launched

2012

What you'll do

Receive community alerts when the aurora is sighted near you.
Take and share pictures of aurora.
#DoNASAScience by helping to track rare auroras like STEVEs.
Connect with scientists, other enthusiasts, and Aurorasaurus Ambassadors around the world.

Requirements

Time: Once you’ve observed an aurora, reporting takes 5 min.
Equipment:
- A smartphone or computer with internet connection
- A camera and tripod for photographing auroras (optional)
Knowledge: None. Online training video provided.

Get started!

Visit the project website.
Click “Join us” or “Login” to sign in using your Facebook or Google account to receive free aurora alerts and our newsletter.
When you see the aurora: Click the “Yes” button to report it.
When you can’t see the aurora: Click the “No” button to make a report.

Learn More

If you’re new to aurora science, check out the guide to learning to talk like an aurora chaser! Then, check out the Learn page, the Aurorasaurus blog, and the Aurorasaurus YouTube channel for more about the science of auroras and space weather.

Activities are available for younger participants: for example, a card game that helps answer the surprisingly complicated question, "how can I see the aurora?".

In a starry night-time panorama, a purple and grey arc stretches from side to side (east to west) over a silhouetted plain, framing green aurora in the distance. Directly beneath the arc are green stripes, the “picket fence” features that occur with STEVE.

Panorama of STEVE (Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement), an aurora-like phenomenon brought to the attention of scientists by aurora chasers. Aurorasaurus volunteers continue to be integral to scientific research on STEVE.

Image by Donna Lach, Aurorasaurus contributor.

A man in a head-to-toe white snow suit crouches behind a camera on a tripod. He stands knee-deep in snow. The sky above him is filled with a green aurora, which is reflected in the snow.

"I do citizen science with Aurorasaurus because I am fascinated by nature and all of its wonders," says citizen scientist and aurora chaser Hugo Sanchez.

Photo by Hugo Sanchez.