Join Boise State Physics in summer 2025 for our internationally-renowned First Friday Astronomy programs. They take place on the first Friday of every month at 7:30p MT in the Education Building (https://maps.boisestate.edu/?id=715#!m/89069), room 101 or online at boi.st/astrobroncoslive.
On August 21st 2017 a total solar eclipse crossed the USA from coast to coast. The Citizen CATE Experiment used a fleet of telescopes to observe the solar corona during this spectacular event. From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIII0aOZ4UA.
Among different fields of science, astronomy has a unique history of citizen science projects. In the last few decades, the advent of user-friendly software and web infrastructure, as well as off-the-shelf research-grade instrumentation, has led to a golden age of citizen science astronomy. Opportunities for amateurs to contribute meaningfully to astronomical research have never been more plentiful.
May’s Northern Lights as seen from Boise State’s Observatory
An usually active Sun has given us some especially brilliant and visible Northern Lights in recent months. For Boise State Physics’ July 2024 First Friday Astronomy event, we’ll host Dr. Elizabeth Macdonald, director of NASA’s Aurorasaurus project. In preparation for that event, I’ve written this short primer on the science of the Northern Lights.
The advent of increasingly sophisticated, commercial-grade astronomical hardware and software is democratizing science in a profound way. Citizen scientists have helped find planets in other solar systems, classify galaxies, and spot supernovae. Closer to home, citizen scientists are helping unlock the mysteries of our own solar system through the science of occultations.