When asteroids hit the Moon, the impacts carve out craters and with enough energy and pressure, melt parts of the rocky surface. Often, the white hot, gooey melt (it’s like lava, except that it doesn’t erupt from underground) sloshes around the new crater and surrounding regions. The molten rock cools and hardens into vast rock … Read more
Missions to the Moon and Mars pose nutritional challenges for astronauts. Now, a new paper on space-grown food iMissions to the Moon and Mars pose nutritional challenges for astronauts, but volunteers from NASA’s Open Science Data Repository Analysis Working Groups (OSDR-AWG) are working together to analyze data on astronaut health. The Analysis Working Groups examine … Read more
Educators, join our free two-part webinar, and learn about bringing coding and citizen science to your learners! The Global Learning and Observation to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) program is a science and education program that focuses on advancing Earth systems science through data collection and analysis by citizen scientists. These webinars introduce GLOBE Mission Mosquito—a global program where … Read more
Titans Space Industries, a commercial space company, selected a new cohort of astronaut candidates this spring – and among them is NASA citizen scientist, Benedetta Facini. She has participated in not one, but many NASA citizen science projects: Cloudspotting on Mars, Active Asteroids, Daily Minor Planet, GLOBE, Exoasteroids and International Astronomical Collaboration (IASC). We asked … Read more
Did you see that gorgeous photo NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers took on July 3, 2025? Originally thought to be a sprite, Ayers confirmed catching an even rarer form of a Transient Luminous Events (TLEs) — a gigantic jet. “Nichole Ayers caught a rare and spectacular form of a TLE from the International Space Station — … Read more
The Snapshot Wisconsin project recently collected their 100 millionth trail camera photo! What’s more, this milestone coincides with the project’s 10-year anniversary. Congratulations to the team and everyone who’s participated! Snapshot Wisconsin utilizes a statewide network of volunteer-managed trail cameras to monitor and better understand the state’s diverse wildlife from white-tailed deer to snowshoe hares, … Read more
As the Sun approaches the most active part of its eleven-year magnetic cycle this summer, NASA volunteers have been watching it closely. Now they’ve spotted a new trend in solar behavior that will have you reaching for your suntan lotion. It’s all about something called a “Type II” solar radio burst: “Type II solar radio … Read more
Calling all librarians! NASA sponsors dozens of research projects that need help from you and the people in your community. These projects invite everyone who’s interested to collaborate with scientists, investigating mysteries from how star systems form to how our planet sustains life. You can help by making observations with your cell phone or by … Read more
Doing NASA Science brings many rewards. But can taking part in NASA citizen science help your career? To find out, we asked participants in NASA’s Exoplanet Watch project about their experiences. In this project, amateur astronomers work together with professionals to track planets around other stars. First, we heard from professional software programmers. Right away, … Read more
Citizen science projects result in an overwhelmingly positive impact on the polar tourism experience. That’s according to a new paper analyzing participant experiences in the first two years of FjordPhyto, a NASA Citizen Science project.. The FjordPhyto citizen science project invites travelers onboard expedition cruise vessels to gather data and samples during the polar summer … Read more