Welcome!

We are a team of scientists and citizen scientists, all united by a shared passion for the aurora! Together, in the Auroral Research Coordination: Towards Internationalised Citizen Science (ARCTICS) group, we’ve combined our expertise to create two valuable resources for the aurora community.

Overview

On this website, you will find two key resources designed to support citizen scientist involvement in aurora research:

• Aurora Field Guide: A visual guide to different auroral forms, helping you identify various types of aurora in your own photographs.

• Aurora Handbook: A detailed guide explaining how to capture aurora images for scientific research, submit your photos, and understand how collaborations with scientists can contribute to new discoveries.

License & Citation

To cite the work, we ask that you use the above doi.

Both guides are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0).

Aurora Field Guide for Citizen Science

Click Here for the Aurora Field Guide

Aurora Handbook for Citizen Science

Click Here for the Aurora Handbook (PDF)

Or browse the Handbook online by clicking the links below.

Contents

• Preface
• Welcome
  • Citizen Scientists
  • Scientists
  • Both
  • Testimonials
• Introduction
  • What is the Aurora?
  • Why Study the Aurora?
  • Colours of the Aurora
• Aurora Chasing
  • Staying Safe
  • Aurora Chaser Etiquette
  • When to Go Out
• Auroral Research & Citizen Science Highlights
  • STEVE & SAR Arcs
  • Dunes
  • Fragments
  • Continuum Emissions
  • Proton Aurora
  • Open Questions in Aurora Science
• How to Take an Aurora Photo
  • Equipment
  • Camera Settings
  • Image Processing
  • Tips & Tricks
• Imaging for Science
  • Metadata Recommendations
  • Observation Time
  • Camera Settings for Science
  • Organising Aurora Photos
  • Citizen Scientist Imaging Platforms & Equipment
• Identify & Report Auroral Phenomena
  • How to Identify Phenomena
  • Types of Aurora and Optical Emissions
  • Reporting Phenomena
  • Classification Platform for Fine-scale Aurora
• Advice for Collaboration
  • For Scientists: Working with a Citizen Scientist
  • For Citizen Scientists: Working with Scientists
  • Reciprocity, Attribution, & Payment
• Observation Campaign Data Management for Scientists
  • Data Quality and Communicating Needs
  • Storing Observation Campaign Data
  • Analysing Observation Campaign Data
  • Data and Modern Trends
  • Laws and Regulations
• Closing Words
• Glossaries
• References