Aurorasaurus Participatory Science Project

A computer screen still frame of the Aurorasaurus application showing a map of the US with green and red dots indicating the probability of a visible aurora.

During the peak of activity (May 10-11, 2024) the Aurorasaurus website showed widespread reports and real-time alerts.

Aurorasaurus, New Mexico Consortium

Levels	beginner intermediate advanced
NGSS	PS1 - Matter and its Interactions PS2 - Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions PS3 - Energy PS4 - Waves and their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer ESS1 - Earth's Place in the Universe ESS2 - Earth's Systems ESS3 - Earth and Human Activity
Requirements	low_tech low_cost
Big Ideas	Big Idea 1.2 – The Sun is active… Big Idea 2.2 – The Sun defines the space… Big Idea 3.1 – The Sun is made of churning plasma… Big Idea 3.2 – Energy from the Sun is created in the core…
Helio Topics	aurora space_weather
Credit	Aurorasaurus, New Mexico Consortium
Language	english

Auroras, sometimes called “northern lights” or “southern lights," are mesmerizingly beautiful. To scientists, auroras are also an intricate dance of particles and magnetism between the Sun and Earth. Help track auroras around the world with Aurorasaurus!

Aurorasaurus is a participatory science project (also called a citizen science project) that is a public-private partnership with the New Mexico Consortium supported by the National Science Foundation and NASA. Aurorasaurus uses data collected by STEM enthusiasts to learn more about what causes aurora. It generates a real-time, global map of auroras via reports on its website. Each report serves as a valuable data point for scientists to analyze and incorporate into scientific models. In addition to contributing data, users can also access a variety of formal and informal resources to learn more about the aurora. Signing up for an account at aurorasaurus.org provides live aurora alerts and a monthly newsletter on aurora topics. Please note that while Aurorasaurus is designed for adults, minors can participate via a parent or guardian.

Additional Resources for Educators Include:

Aurorasaurus website - the main webpage where users can sign up for accounts, which provide aurora alerts and the Aurorasaurus newsletter; read the Aurorasaurus blog; learn about how auroras form; and more!
Educational resource list - a listing of Aurorasaurus educational activities and lesson plans for formal and informal educators, hosted by our colleagues at educational digital platform Infiniscope.
Auroras 101 - a beginner-level glossary of aurora terms, created to introduce students to important concepts that help with understanding the many processes that cause auroras.
Hands-On Activities - a blog category that filters posts for hands-on, aurora-related educational activities for a range of ages. Print a 3D magnetosphere model as a classroom tactile, play an aurora chasing card game make a chenille stem model of the Earth’s magnetic field, knit an aurora hat, and more!
Aurorasaurus blog - a curated blog with informational deep dives on aurora topics at a beginner-intermediate level. All posts are approved by subject matter experts, and it is reliable as a teacher resource, a trusted source for student research, and/or an aid in answering questions.
Aurorasaurus YouTube Channel - informative videos and presentation recordings that provide more advanced deep dives on a variety of topics, as well as beginner-level resources
Aurorasaurus listing at NASA Science Activation - webpage that includes a description of Aurorasaurus’ mission and quotes from users
Aurorasaurus at NASA Citizen Science - webpage includes a quick start guide with videos to participate in Aurorasaurus citizen science, as well as links to participant profiles
Aurorasaurus on Facebook
Aurorasaurus on Twitter/X