Photography + Clouds = Citizen Science

Pictures of clouds are very popular on social networks, Instagram, photo-sharing sites. There are 84 Mio posts with hashtag #clouds on Instagram and 168 Mio pictures with hashtag #sky.  

With NASA Globe and Globe Observer app, Sky photography and Citizen Science can be combined. 

Recording sky and clouds observations is technically simple. There is a minor data entry on high, mid and low level clouds required before pictures of clouds can be taken. Altogether up to 6 pictures can be recorded: North, South, West, East, Up and Down. Once observation is done, measurements and pictures shall be checked and submitted to the NASA server. These can be then publicly visible on the NASA GLOBE Visualization System: https://vis.globe.gov/GLOBE/


Training materials to identify cloud types, step-by-step instructions to record measurements are provided via Globe Observer website (1) and the app (2). Program updates, events, webinars are also published @NASAGO Twitter channel (3).

The GLOBE Program's Mission is to promote the teaching and learning of science, enhance environmental literacy and stewardship, and promote scientific discovery (4). The cloud observations help NASA scientists understand clouds from below (the ground) and above (from space) (5).

1. https://observer.globe.gov/
2. https://observer.globe.gov/about/get-the-app
3. https://twitter.com/NASAGO
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GLOBE_Program.
5. https://observer.globe.gov/about