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What do you need to be a space explorer? Perfect health? Bachelor's degree in physics? Years of training?
In fact, you can help solve some of the many mysteries of the Universe without even leaving the comfort of your home.
You do not need any special education or equipment. You do not have to give up your job either.
All you need is a little spare time and access to a computer or smartphone.
Citizen Science
He is 60 years old on July 29th.
The agency employs more than 18 . 000 people but only 39 of them are active astronauts. The rest of the time, most work in laboratories and research centers.
Professional scientists now rely heavily on what they call "civilian scientists" – volunteers from around the world who help them collect and analyze huge amounts of data.
There are many projects to participate. Here we show you some of the most exciting and how to be part of it.
1. The Mystery of "Planet 9"
Astronomers and Physicists are Convinced That A Mysterious and Faraway World Is Somewhere On The Outskirts of Our Solar System , which is referenced colloquially as the planet to 9 .
It has not yet been detected, but its theoretical existence is strongly supported by mathematical models. Based on this, the mysterious object is much more than a mere dwarf planet: scientists consider it considerably larger and heavier than the Earth.
NASA tries to locate the planet Nine by examining the images taken by the WISE infrared spacecraft telescope
It is very possible that the planet has already been photographed, but not yet seen.
But WISE has taken hundreds of thousands of photos that can not be analyzed by automated algorithms because some features of the mysterious planet they can only be identified by the human eye.
And it turns out that this eye could be yours: you can help astronomers reject virgin images and mark those that deserve to be looked at more closely
Online Training Explains Aspiring planet hunter exactly what to look for, and how to highlight the features that interest him.
And if you cheer it up maybe it turns out and end up naming it in your honor.
2. Cartography of Mars, Mercury or the Moon
We know a great deal about celestial objects located near the Earth.
NASA has even landed successfully on the Moon six times, and a mission is expected to Mars is launched in a few months.
However, despite the thousands of photographs that have been taken over the years, a detailed map of the Moon has not yet been made, much less
The compilation of such maps requires to process a large number of high resolution images, one by one, and map multiple entities on the surface. It's only then that they can put together the giant puzzle
That's why NASA has launched CosmoQuest, where everyone can help.
You can, for example, choose to map the craters on the moon to help astronauts locate the place
Or, if you feel like a challenge, try with Mars, which has a much more diverse surface, with sand dunes and volcanoes.
The rocky face of Mercury was marked by "wrinkles" and struck by high-speed asteroid collisions and comets: collisions so violent that they throw debris at the surface and create their own craters.
3. Looking for Steve
It's hard to believe, but it's only in 2017 that scientists have discovered a new atmospheric phenomenon, a ribbon of light shining in the sky, purple and green.
The tape measures up to 32 kilometers wide, extends for nearly 1000 kilometers, but the phenomenon lasts only about 20 to 40 minutes
As can be seen that in the polar regions it was confused with the aurora borealis. But now that scientists have learned more about purples and greens, they claim that it's a very different phenomenon: the glossy ribbon is made of extremely hot gases that are flowing at high speed.
The scientific citizens who discovered it ] joke "Steve", in reference to the animated film "Neighbors Invaders ".
This spectacular celestial spectacle has been seen from the United Kingdom, Canada, Alaska, and other states of the Northeastern United States and New Zealand
But what is still causing this is the scientists who are scratch your head.
It seems to be a seasonal phenomenon: Steve always takes a break between October and February, that is, most of the winter in the summer. ;northern hemisphere.
It usually appears next to the northern lights, although scientists are still not convinced because they think it was seen further south than an Aurora Borealis can happen.
To get to know Steve in depth, physicists and astronomers need as many pictures as they can, so NASA introduced Aurorosaurus.
Anyone who sees auroras borealis or something similar, you can send a photo or video for analysis by NASA experts thus contributing to your database on the phenomenon.
So if you live in northern parts of the world or traveling there, you can download this app.
This will even warn you of the likelihood of seeing aurora where you are. Maybe you meet Steve.
4. Fighting Climate Change
Even if you do not live in the North, NASA may still be interested in your photos. With goals a little closer, yes: the clouds.
Clouds play a crucial role in the makeup of our climate and NASA's satellites follow in detail how they travel on our planet.
The problem is that the only satellites see the sky from above
For perspective from below, they need earthlings [19659008] that is to say us.
By joining the two points of view, scientists can get a more accurate picture of what is happening in our atmosphere and perform a more detailed analysis.
NASA launched the GLOBE project as a way for citizen scientists to contribute to science and the fight against change
The photographs sent by this application will be analyzed by NASA experts, who will compare them with satellite data. If you are lucky, you will receive a message with the result of your analysis.
So, if you want to search Steve, capture a close-up of a cluster or map the moon, there are many ways to help NASA. Go ahead and celebrate your birthday.
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