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Interested in Becoming a NASA Citizen Scientist? Meet Us Virtually at CitSciCon

Learn how you can help NASA conduct scientific research at CitSciCon, a virtual event with interactive activities taking place May 21 – 22, 2021.

Agency experts, project leaders, and experienced volunteers will come together to share the latest and greatest information regarding NASA-funded citizen science projects. Wondering which project is right for you? CitSciCon is a great way to find out! The free sessions are open to experienced, new, or aspiring citizen scientists.

NASA’s citizen science projects are collaborations between scientists and interested members of the public, known as citizen scientists. Citizen scientists already use their phones, computers or tablets to share local observations or analyze NASA data to help scientists find new planets, ground-truth satellite data, track changes in weather and climate, and more. NASA-funded citizen science projects have engaged roughly 1.5 million volunteers and resulted in numerous scientific discoveries.

Funded by NASA, CitSciCon is organized by SciStarter, a citizen science hub, and the Citizen Science Association.

NASA citizen science project leads participating in CitSciCon include:

Adam Schneider, US Naval Observatory, Backyard Worlds: Planet 9
Alan Li, NASA’s Ames Research Center, NEMO-Net
Alison Cusick, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, FjordPhyto
Amy Padolf, Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden, Growing Beyond Earth
Andrew Westphal, University of California Berkeley, Stardust@Home
Brian Campbell, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center’s NASA Wallops Flight Facility, GLOBE Observer Trees
Brian Day, NASA’s Ames Research Center, Fireballs in the Sky
Carson Fuls, University of Arizona, Catalina Outer Solar System Survey
Candice Hansen, Planetary Science Institute, JunoCam
Carl Hergenrother, University of Arizona, Target Asteroids
Chuck Higgins, Middle Tennessee State University, Radio Jove
Dana Brown, University of Alaska, Fresh Eyes on Ice
Dorian Janney, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Mosquito Habitat Mapper
Elizabeth MacDonald, NASA Headquarters, Aurorasaurus
Holli Kohl, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, GLOBE Observer
Jarrett Byrnes, UMASS Boston, Floating Forests
Karl Battams, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Sungrazer Project
Lisa Lamb, Lewis Center for Educational Research, Goldstone Apple Valley Radio Telescope
Marilé Colón Robles, GLOBE Observer Clouds
Nora Eisner, University of Oxford, Planet Hunters TESS
Patrick Miller, Hardin-Simmons University, International Astronomical Search Collaboration
Rob Zellem, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Exoplanet Watch
Steven Silverberg, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Disk Detective
Tamlin Pavelsky, University of North Carolina, Lake Observations by Citizen Scientists
Thomas Stanley, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Landslide Reporter

Additional speakers and hosts include:

Aries Keck, NASA HQ, Applied Sciences Program
Chris Lintott, University of Oxford, founder of Zooniverse
Darlene Cavalier, Arizona State University, SciStarter
Derrick Pitts, Franklin Institute, chief astronomer and director of the Fels Planetarium
Doreen Thomas, NASA Headquarters intern coordinator
Esteban Morales, NASA recruitment lead
Jessica Taylor, NASA Langley Research Center, GLOBE Program lead trainer
Marc Kuchner, NASA Headquarters, NASA citizen science officer
Phil Plait, Astronomer and author
Stella Kafka, American Association of Variable Star Observers
Steven Crawford, NASA Headquarters, senior program executive for Scientific Data and Computing
Stinger Guala, NASA Headquarters, NASA Earth Science citizen science lead
Vivian White, Astronomical Society of the Pacific, NASA Night Sky Network