The northern lights, or the aurora borealis, are beautiful dancing ribbons of light that have captivated people for millennia. But for all its beauty, this spectacular light show is a rather violent event. 

The northern lights are created when energized particles from the sun slam into Earth's upper atmosphere at speeds of up to 45 million mph (72 million kph), but our planet's magnetic field protects us from the onslaught. 

As Earth's magnetic field redirects the particles toward the poles — there are southern lights, too, which you can read about below — the dramatic process transforms into a cinematic atmospheric phenomenon that dazzles and fascinates scientists and skywatchers alike. Visit Space.com for more inforamtion about the Northern Lights.

Did you know there is a SPACE WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER???  They have dashboards for different types of space weather, including the Aurora Dashboard. 

What to read:
For kids
Northern Lights by Valerie Bodden (picture book0
Northern Lights by Martha E.H. Rustad
​For older kids: 
 The Northern Lights by Kristen Rajczak
Northern Lights by Philip Pullman (fiction)
For adults:
Northern Lights: a history of the Arctic Scots by Edward J. Cowan
What to listen to:
Northern Lights : choral works by Ola Gjeilo.Gjeilo, Ola, 1978-

NASA’s volunteer scientists are searching NASA data for new
worlds, asteroids, and comets. They are tracking the impacts of
climate change on lake levels, coral reefs, and mosquito populations.
Hundreds of volunteers have co-authored publications in
professional journals. Many have made new, lasting friendships
with NASA scientists and with one another. Scientific discoveries
made by NASA volunteers include:
• Hundreds of extrasolar planets
• Thousands of brown dwarf stars
• 100,000s of emperor penguin nests
• Most of the known comets
• A new kind of aurora phenomenon
Our volunteer projects, sometimes called “citizen science” projects
are open to everyone around the world, and not limited to U.S.
citizens or residents. They aim to teach you everything you need to
know as you go along - so don’t worry if you never studied science
or forgot what you learned in school. Pick one and try it out!
Just be ready: there are no guaranteed results, and sometimes the
answers will remain unknown. But if you’re tired of just reading
about other people’s groundbreaking discoveries and ready to get
involved, visit science.nasa.gov/citizenscience or click on the
links below.
Projects with the require no prior knowledge, experience, or
special tools beyond a computer or smartphone. Other projects
may involve going to a specific location or using tools such as a
backyard telescope.
Astrophysics
• Are We Alone In The Universe - arewealone.earth
• Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 - backyardworlds.org
• Dark Energy Explorers -
www.zooniverse.org/projects/erinmc/dark-energy-explorers
• Disk Detective - diskdetective.org
• Exoplanet Watch - exoplanets.nasa.gov/exoplanet-watch
• Planet Hunters TESS - planethunters.org
• Planet Patrol - exoplanetpatrol.org
• Unistellar Network Investigating TESS Exoplanets (UNITE) -
science.unistellaroptics.com
Biological and Physical Sciences
• Growing Beyond Earth - fairchildgarden.org/gbe
LOVE NASA? LOVE SCIENCE? VOLUNTEER TO DO REAL NASA SCIENCE!
Image Credits:
Top: credit: Allison Cusick
Bottom left: credit: NASA
Bottom right : credit: HamSCI
Earth Science
• Air Quality Citizen Science - aqcitizenscience.rti.org/#/
• Community Snow Observations - communitysnowobs.org
• Fjord Phyto - fjordphyto.ucsd.edu
• Floating Forests - floatingforests.org
• Fresh Eyes On Ice - fresheyesonice.org
• GLOBE Observer: Clouds, Eclipse, Land Cover, Mosquito Habitat
Mapper, Trees - observer.globe.gov/do-globe-observer
• Lake Observations by Citizen Scientists and Satellites - locss.org
• Landslide Reporter - gpm.nasa.gov/landslides/index.html
• Mapping Application for Penguin Populations and Projected
Dynamics (MAPPPD) - penguinmap.com
• Mountain Rain or Snow - www.rainorsnow.org
• NeMO-Net - nemonet.info
• Spritacular - spritacular.org
• Soundscapes to Landscapes - soundscapes2landscapes.org
• Chesapeake Water Watch -
serc.si.edu/citizen-science/projects/chesapeake-water-watch
Heliophysics
• Aurorasaurus - aurorasaurus.org
• Goldstone Apple Valley Radio Telescope (GAVRT) -
gavrt.lewiscenter.org
• HamSci - hamsci.org
• Radio Jove - radiojove.org
• Solar Jet Hunter -
www.zooniverse.org/projects/sophiemu/solar-jet-hunter
• Sungrazer Project - sungrazer.nrl.navy.mil
• Heliophysics Audified: Resonances in Plasmas (HARP) -
listen.spacescience.org
• Solar Active Region Spotter -
www.zooniverse.org/projects/eimason/solar-active-region-spotter
Planetary Science
• Active Asteroids -
www.zooniverse.org/projects/orionnau/active-asteroids
• Catalina Outer Solar System Survey -
www.zooniverse.org/projects/fulsdavid/catalina-outer-solarsystem-
survey
• Cloudspotting on Mars - www.zooniverse.org/projects/
marek-slipski/cloudspotting-on-mars
• International Astronomical Search Collaboration (“Isaac”) -
iasc.hsutx.edu
• Jovian Vortex Hunter -
www.zooniverse.org/projects/ramanakumars/jovian-vortex-hunter
• JunoCam - www.missionjuno.swri.edu/junocam
FOLLOW Us on Twitter and Facebook! @DoNASAScience

Jon our team, Hilltowns Observers, on the GLOBE app, and do Citizen Science reporting all year long!

Discover how animals react during the total solar eclipse. Observe your pet or nearby animal.
​
On Monday, April 8th, 2024, a total solar eclipse will be visible from Mexico and Texas to Maine and New Brunswick, Canada and the rest of North America will be able to experience a partial solar eclipse! Join us for the Solar Eclipse Safari so, together, we can discover if and how an eclipse affects animals.
See the "ECLIPSE" tab to learn more about the eclipse and when it will be in your area.
Questions: [email protected].

HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED
If you would like to help gather data for our project, there are two ways for you to get involved:
   1) Before the day of the eclipse, you can sign up to be a Project Ambassador and recruit others in your group or area to collect data.
   2) Sign up to collect animal behavior data yourself. You can plan to do that electronically on your own device (a phone or tablet), or you can print the data collection sheets in advance of the eclipse and then upload them afterwards.
Click here to sign up to receive reminders before the eclipse and updates about our findings after the eclipse.

On Monday, April 8th, 2024, a total solar eclipse will be visible from Mexico and Texas to Maine and New Brunswick, Canada and the rest of North America will be able to experience a partial solar eclipse! Join us for the Solar Eclipse Safari so, together, we can discover if and how an eclipse affects animals.

See the "ECLIPSE" tab to learn more about the eclipse and when it will be in your area.

Questions: [email protected].

HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED

If you would like to help gather data for our project, there are two ways for you to get involved:
   1) Before the day of the eclipse, you can sign up to be a Project Ambassador and recruit others in your group or area to collect data.
   2) Sign up to collect animal behavior data yourself. You can plan to do that electronically on your own device (a phone or tablet), or you can print the data collection sheets in advance of the eclipse and then upload them afterwards.

Click here to sign up to receive reminders before the eclipse and updates about our findings after the eclipse.

WHAT PARTICIPATION WILL INVOLVE

Prepare (~15 minutes)
   1) Review training materials on the Trainings tab.
   2) If you plan to record your data on paper, print the data collection form.
   3) Make a plan to observe the eclipse.
      • Know when the eclipse maximum will be in your observation area (see training videos).
      • Plan to be at your observation location an hour before the eclipse maximum.
   4) Remember to get authorized protective eyewear to view the eclipse.

Participate (~1-2 hours)
   1) Select the animal you’d like to observe. This could be a pet, a zoo animal, a farm animal, or any animal in nature.
   2) Begin watching before the eclipse. We’d like for you to start an hour before the maximum of the eclipse where you are.
   3) Record observations at specific time intervals indicated on your data collection form until your animal’s behavior returns to normal. Each observation should only take a few seconds. You can record observations on using a smartphone or tablet or on paper forms.

After the eclipse (~10 minutes)
   1) If you’ve recorded data on a paper form, after the eclipse, come back to this page and follow the instructions.
   2) Answer some questions about your experience.

Celebrate!
Consider sharing a #EclipseSafariSelfie and tag #OneMillionActsofScience if you want your post published on CitizenScienceMonth.org.

But there is an Eclipse observation project you can participate in.

Download the GLOBE Observer app and join our team, the Hilltowns Observers. Share your observation of clouds, mosquito habitats, land cover, trees, and the ECLIPSE...just go outside and follow the prompts in the app to observe your environment.

The Eclipse tool will prompt you to take air temperature measurements using a meteorological thermometer, as well as taking regular observations of sky conditions using the Clouds tool, and an observation with the Land Cover tool to characterize the vegetation near the data collection site. For more details about equipment needed, how to take observations, and frequently asked questions, visit the Taking Observations page.

​

Community science (sometimes referred to as "participatory science" or "citizen science") is public participation in scientific research. You don't have to have a formal background in science. People of all ages and backgrounds, just like you, can help make observations, collect data and contribute to scientific discovery.

We will have a 95% view of the eclipse here in Rensselaerville, which means we are in a great location for observations. ​Participate in the Eclipse Soundscapes Project.  Share your multi-sensory observations via social media with #EclipseSoundscapes and include your location. What did you hear, feel, and/or see during totality on April 8, 2024? You can also complete a more in-depth observation submission to earn a certificate as an Eclipse Soundscapes Observer: Observer Training (20-30 min) 

What kinds of observations is ES looking for?
What nature sounds and sights do you observe?
Do nighttime animals and insects appear and get louder?
How about daytime animals and insects?
​And remember, people are animals too!

An eclipse occurs when one astronomical object -- like a moon or planet -- moves into the shadow of another one. 

There are two types of eclipses that can be observed from Earth: lunar and solar. 
A lunar eclipse happens when the Earth passes in between our Moon and the Sun. The Earth blocks the light of the sun from the Moon, so that the Moon is in shadow.

A solar eclipse, like the one we will see on April 8, happnes when the Moon is between Earth and the Sun, and casts a shadow onto the Earth.

​Scientists spend time learning about their topic of study before making observations or collecting data. Therefore, we recommend learning about eclipses as the first step for everyone participating in this project! To be an Apprentice you must complete Apprentice Training Lessons and take the Apprentice Certification quiz to earn your Apprentice certificate!

NASA Website: What is an Eclipse?
This article is for students grades K-4.
This article is for students grades 5-8.

Read more about eclipses!

​Websites: 

• NASA Eclipse Site
• Great American Eclipse Site

Books:

• Great American Eclipse Book Recomendations

The next Total Solar Eclipse to visit North America will be April 8, 2024. The duration of totality will be up to 4 minutes and 27 seconds, almost double that of The Great American Eclipse of August 21, 2017. The 2017 total solar eclipse was witnessed by about 20 million people from Oregon to South Carolina, and the upcoming 2024 Great American Eclipse is sure to be witnessed by many millions more.

Rensselaerville will have a view of the total eclipse! This gives us the excellent opportunity to be Community Scientists that can help NASA and other organizations collect observations for their research projects! Pretty cool, huh?  Look for new blog posts to learn how you can participate.


Always remember the most important eclipse lesson: Keep Your Eyes Safe!

Eye Safety During a Total Solar EclipseExcept during the brief total phase of a total solar eclipse, when the Moon completely blocks the Sun’s bright face, it is not safe to look directly at the Sun without specialized eye protection for solar viewing.
Viewing any part of the bright Sun through a camera lens, binoculars, or a telescope without a special-purpose solar filter secured over the front of the optics will instantly cause severe eye injury. But there are many ways you can safely look at the sun. Visit NASA's website to learn more.