Elizabeth MacDonald

Our work demonstrates the power that everyday people have to enable discovery that deconstructs the traditional silos of Western science and contributes to improving our knowledge of the aurora. The participatory science project I founded, Aurorasaurus.org, bridges a worldwide community of aurora enthusiasts and the hidden world of NASA heliophysics. Major aurora displays are caused by matter and magnetism from the Sun connecting with the Earth’s magnetic field and ultimately interacting with our atmosphere. These “solar storms” can affect satellites and power grids. As technology advances, so does the need to improve solar storm prediction to protect assets. However, aurora research tools are concentrated in places where it frequently occurs, and often miss the extent of rare events that expand toward the equator. The public can stand in for sensors, observing and photographing aurora from the ground.

Recently, the Sun has reached its most active, “solar maximum” period, and Aurorasaurus’ efforts are generating greater participation. During a major May 2024 aurora storm, Aurorasaurus received thousands of citizen science reports from 55+ countries, all 7 continents, and even ships in the ocean. Since these large events are exceedingly rare and have the most potential for damaging technological impacts, collecting these data from explorers is invaluable.

Working with passionate people who voluntarily share their experiences of aurora over the last 12 years has drastically shifted my understanding of how we should do science. Together we have made discoveries and sought better answers. Space is so large that the relatively new field of heliophysics is data-starved, and people can contribute to it wherever they are. In addition, humans notice new and unusual phenomena better than computers. Our volunteers are passionate and want to see aurora, and we aim to help improve accurate communication of the science and facilitate space weather stewards. Additionally, while the aurora have deep and varied spiritual meaning to many people, not everyone has access to dark skies and being able to explore them safely. Our dream is to open up these opportunities much more in terms of access, reclamation of sky knowledge, reclamation of exploration, and asking systematic questions of the universe, in whatever ways people want to explore.

Aurorasaurus and STEVE serve as powerful reminders that every person is knowledgeable in their own field. As aurora is created by the relationship between the Sun and Earth, science is empowered by relationship-building across fields. Instead of siloing research to specific realms of academia, open, participatory science projects like Aurorasaurus enable surprising collaborations—between scientific disciplines, and between scientists and the public—that can advance our world.