Campaign-Style Citizen Science Efforts for Space Weather Data Collection and Research

Participatory science—also known as citizen science—connects researchers and the public to advance discovery. In space weather, it spans funded programs and grassroots initiatives. Aurora chasers, in particular, collaborate with scientists and supply unique datasets that enable and enhance research. Their agility allows rapid, efficient collection of high-quality auroral observations and brings experiential, contributory expertise to scientific discussions.

Recently, coordinated campaigns have emerged as effective ways to engage enthusiasts and gather useful space weather observations. These efforts include motivating communities to submit historical auroral sightings and photographs and coordinating aurora chasers to image the night sky at specified times. Such campaigns generate data that address targeted scientific questions.

We introduce the campaign concept and highlight three recent examples: (1) aurora-chaser contributions to the Spring 2025 High Time-Resolution SuperDARN Runs; (2) the SolarMaX observation campaign in collaboration with SpaceX’s Fram2 mission; and (3) a review of aurora-forecasting mobile applications. We also offer recommendations for planning and conducting similar efforts and propose ideas to support ongoing and future space weather missions. Overall, campaigns provide an opportunity to produce unique datasets in collaboration with space weather citizen-science communities