You might have heard about Citizen Science, but you might not know how to get started. I'd like to offer a few links to Zooniverse projects that you can help with! Every project starts with a tutorial to teach you what you need to know, and you can leave comments and ask for feedback on your classifications. It's a whole community!
** Note: Green Links go to Zooniverse pages. Blue Links go to related organizations websites.
Don't worry about making mistakes, either. Every data point gets reviewed by dozens or hundreds of volunteers just like you, so working together we can find the best answers.
The link above is for a new Astronomy project called "Eclipsing Binary Patrol". You can learn how to read data from NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and help confirm the discovery of binary star pairs!
If you would rather help with Animal science, here's a project to help Western Australia's Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions' (DBCA) "South Coast Threatened Fauna Recovery Project" protect rare animals and birds like the Gilbert's Potoroo and the Western Ground Parrot by reviewing trail cams and identifying the animals you see:
Another timely project that lets you help people very directly is the "Sudan Road Access" project. **Note: The project team designs things to try and avoid disturbing imagery, but this works by mapping dry riverbeds (wadis) where they cross roads to help teams anticipate where supply routes for humanitarian aid might become impassable. Do not participate if you feel this might be upsetting to you. I promise, there are always a bunch of volunteers to help finish these time sensitive projects!
If none of these projects are appealing, feel free to browse the Zooniverse Projects List. There are category links you can filter by such as Arts, Space, Biology, History, Climate, Medicine, Literature, Physics and more!
I've been participating in Zooniverse projects for more than a decade. It can be a fun way to help with some fascinating science. You can donate a little time or a lot, and it's very easy to jump into when you have some spare time. Each project partners with a variety of Universities from around the world and groups like NASA and the ESA. Dive right in and find a project that interests you!
