Citizen Science
Through the projects below, sometimes called "citizen science" or "participatory science" projects, volunteers and amateurs have helped make thousands of important scientific discoveries. These 30 projects are open to everyone around the world (no citizenship required).
![An image of a celestial scene showing two bright stars against a dark background, with one star appearing larger and more luminous on the right, and a smaller, dimmer star to the left. A planet is silhouetted as it transits in front of the larger star. The background is filled with a soft glow and scattered faint stars.](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/ebpimage001.png?w=4096&format=png)
Eclipsing Binary Patrol
Examine space telescope data to find special rare pairs of stars. For anyone with a smartphone or laptop.
![](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/active-asteroids-logo.jpg?w=4096&format=jpeg)
Active Asteroids
Inspect images to find comet-like objects hiding in the asteroid belt. For anyone with a smartphone or laptop. Read Project Summary
![](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/arewealone-square.png?w=4096&format=png)
Are we alone in the universe?
Examine radio signals to help search for intelligent life beyond Earth. For anyone with a smartphone or laptop. Read Project Summary
![](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/planet-9-art-jpeg.webp?w=4096&format=png)
Backyard Worlds: Planet 9
Search the realm beyond Neptune for new planets, nearby stars and more. For anyone with a smartphone or laptop. Read Project Summary
![A black square with a white off-centered dot. Two triangles radiate out of the dot from brown to bright pink. A purple oval ring circles the white dot and an aqua line spikes up and level out.](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/burst-chase-logo-notitle.png?w=4096&format=png)
Burst Chaser
Decode signals from Gamma Ray Bursts, the universe’s largest explosions. For anyone with a smartphone or laptop.
![](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/cloudspotting-rev-3-jpg.webp?w=4096&format=png)
Cloudspotting on Mars
Trace exotic clouds in the Martian atmosphere. For anyone with a smartphone or laptop. Read Project Summary
![Puffy text in cream reads Cool Neighbors and sits on top of a cartoon style planet with another planet in the upper right corner. The logo is surrounded by a thick orange stroke line.](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/coolneighborslogo-transparentbackground-no-bottom-text-square-canvas.png?w=4096&format=png)
Backyard Worlds: Cool Neighbors
Discover Jupiter-like objects, balls of gas called brown dwarfs in our cosmic backyard. For anyone with a smartphone or laptop.
![](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/neo-logo.png?w=4096&format=png)
Daily Minor Planet
Discover asteroids and other small objects in the solar system. For anyone with a smartphone or laptop. Read Project Summary
![](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/dee-nasa-logo.png?w=4096&format=png)
Dark Energy Explorers
Uncover dark energy, a mysterious force driving galaxies apart. For anyone with a smartphone or laptop. Read Project Summary
![](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/awi0005x3s-ringdisk-lores-2.png?w=4096&format=png)
Disk Detective
Search for dusty disks around stars where distant worlds form and dwell. For anyone with a smartphone or laptop. Read Project Summary
![](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/exoplanet-watch-square-color-black-bg.png?w=4096&format=png)
Exoplanet Watch
Track new planets beyond our solar system using backyard telescope data. For anyone with a smartphone or laptop. Read Project Summary
![](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/160830-globe-observer-app-jpg.webp?w=4096&format=png)
GLOBE Observer: Clouds, Land Cover, Mosquito Habitats
Choose from several different projects to help scientists learn about planet Earth. For anyone with a smartphone. Kid friendly! Read Project Summary
![](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/internationalastronomical-1-jpg.webp?w=4096&format=png)
International Astronomical Search Collaboration
Teams from schools and communities: Search for asteroids and help keep Earth safe. Kid friendly! Read Project Summary
![](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/junocam.jpg?w=4096&format=jpeg)
JunoCam
Share your images of Jupiter and participate in the JunoCam mission. For anyone with a laptop.
![](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/landslidebanner-sq.png?w=4096&format=png)
Landslide Reporter
See a landslide or read about one? Submit your observations. For anyone with a laptop. Read Project Summary
![Two images of the moon's surface side by side, the left side is lighter than the right side and a new impact crater is highlighted in the right image. The title "Moon Diff" overlays the images. The "O's" in moon are images of the moon.](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/moondifflogosquare.png?w=4096&format=png)
MoonDiff
Compare 1960s images to modern ones to spot changes in the Moon. For anyone with a laptop.
![](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/tessmission-1-jpeg.webp?w=4096&format=png)
Planet Hunters TESS
Search for planets outside our solar system using data from NASA’s TESS mission. For anyone with a smartphone or laptop. Read Project Summary
![Cartoon illustration of an astronaut wearing a red cowboy hat and holding a lasso with a rainbow colored spiral galaxy inside the loop](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/rw-logo-galaxies.png?w=4096&format=png)
Redshift Wrangler
Clock the expansion of the universe using light from distant galaxies. For anyone with a smartphone or laptop. Read Project Summary
![The Sun's atmosphere, shown in red, with a bright white stream of a comet shooting through it.](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/sungrazer.gif?w=4096&format=png)
Sungrazer Project
Discover new comets near the Sun. For anyone with a laptop. Read Project Summary
![](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/aurora-jpg.webp?w=4096&format=png)
Aurorasaurus
Submit your observations of the Northern and Southern lights. Read Project Summary
![](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/nasa-csesp-square-cww-logo-shelby-brown.png?w=4096&format=png)
Chesapeake Water Watch
Live near the Chesapeake Bay? Take water-quality data with your smartphone. Read Project Summary
![](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/fp-screen-shot-2022-03-04-at-6.01.42-pm.png?w=4096&format=png)
Fjord Phyto
Visiting Antarctica? Investigate changes in phytoplankton along the western Antarctic Peninsula. Read Project Summary
![](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/fresh-eyes-jpg.webp?w=4096&format=png)
Fresh Eyes on Ice
Live in Alaska? Report ice conditions to keep people safe and climate scientists informed. Read Project Summary
![](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/gbe-mission-patch.png?w=4096&format=png)
Growing Beyond Earth
Middle and high school teachers in the U.S.: your students can test plants for use in space missions. Kid friendly!
![](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/ham-sci.png?w=4096&format=png)
HamSCI
Amateur radio operators: help scientists study Earth’s ionosphere. Read Project Summary
![](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/lakeobservations-1.jpeg?w=4096&format=jpeg)
Lake Observations by Citizen Scientists and Satellites
Near a lake? Report the water level with your smartphone. Certain lakes only. Read Project Summary
![](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/mountain-snow-badge-cropped-jpg.webp?w=4096&format=png)
Mountain Rain or Snow
Near the mountains? Help climate scientists by using your cell phone to report rain and snow. Read Project Summary
![A collage of images that includes an orange color sun with solar flares, the planet Jupiter, two colorful charts and the title RADIO JOVE](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/radio-jove-square-logo-edit.png?w=4096&format=png)
Radio JOVE
Build your own radio telescope and study Jupiter, the Sun, the Earth’s Ionosphere, and the Milky Way galaxy. Read Project Summary
![](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/spritacular-6.png?w=4096&format=png)
Spritacular
Have a camera? Submit your own photographs of the colorful flashes of light seen above thunderclouds. Read Project Summary
![](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/unite-cit-sci-thumbnail-v2-titled-tom-esposito.png?w=4096&format=png)
UNITE
Use your telescope to observe planets beyond our solar system. Unistellar telescope required. Read Project Summary
Other Citizen Science Projects NASA Has Supported
![A black sphere eclipses the sun and colorful rays of light emanate from behind.](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/cate2024-logo-image-1024.jpg?w=4096&format=jpeg)
Citizen CATE 2024
This project is not currently seeking volunteers. Read Project Summary
![A black square with the](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/deb-logo.jpg?w=4096&format=jpeg)
Dynamic Eclipse Broadcast Initiative
This project is not currently seeking volunteers. Read Project Summary
![A silhouette image of 3 people with telescopes with the text Eclipse Megamovie above it.](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/citsciene23.jpg?w=4096&format=jpeg)
Eclipse Megamovie
This project is not currently seeking volunteers. Read Project Summary
![](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/mapppd-jpg.webp?w=4096&format=png)
Mapping Application for Penguin Populations and Projected Dynamics
Find and track penguin colonies. For anyone with a laptop.
![Silhouette of a white cricket against a black background with a red and yellow gradient. Text reads Eclipse Soundscapes.org.](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/eclipsesoundscapeswhitelogo.jpg?w=4096&format=jpeg)
Eclipse Soundscapes
This project is not currently seeking volunteers. Read Project Summary
![](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/floatingforests-jpg.webp?w=4096&format=png)
![Photo of a hand holding a mobile phone that is showing eclipse related citizen science graphics on the screen.](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/goeclipsesquare.jpg?w=4096&format=jpeg)
![](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/harp-citsci-thumb.png?w=4096&format=png)
Heliophysics Audified: Resonances in Plasmas
This project is not currently seeking volunteers. Read Project Summary
![](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/jvhlogo.png?w=4096&format=png)
Jovian Vortex Hunter
This project is not currently seeking volunteers. Read Project Summary
![](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/nasa-nemo-net-jpg.webp?w=4096&format=png)
NeMO-Net
Play an iPad game and classify coral reefs by painting images of coral. For anyone with an iPad. Kid friendly!
![](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/activeregionspotters-jpg.webp?w=4096&format=png)
![](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/logo10-square.png?w=4096&format=png)
Solar Jet Hunter
This project is not currently seeking volunteers. Read Project Summary
![A small yellow-chested bird sits on a tree branch.](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/soundscapes2landscapes-1-jpg.webp?w=4096&format=png)
Soundscapes to Landscapes
Live in Sonoma County, CA? Investigate biodiversity by recording the sounds of bird calls.
![A black and white photo of](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/stardust-wild2a-jpg.webp?w=4096&format=png)
![An illustrated eclipse logo with a larger orange circle eclipsed by a slightly smaller black circle. There are 4 flares in the upper left side. The title SunSketcher sits below the log.](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/logotm-withtext.png?w=4096&format=png)
SunSketcher
This project is not currently seeking volunteers. Read Project Summary
![Three people in winter jackets are taking measurements of snow.](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/communityshow-jpg.webp?w=4096&format=png)
Community Snow Observations
Near snow? Measure the depth with a ruler and report it with a smartphone to aid climate modeling and avalanche safety.