CITIZEN SCIENCE:
Solar Maximum is Almost Here! So What Did We Learn About Canada’s Northern Lights During the Last Solar Max?
To help answer this question, this fall Astronomy North is proud to introduce AuroraMAX Legacy, a new citizen science initiative that builds on over 14 years of data collection from the AuroraMAX Observatory to help us explore more, experience more and learn more about Canada’s Northern Lights than ever before. To kick off our Legacy efforts, Astronomy North is taking a deep dive into the archives, the science and the social media traffic in the years leading up to the last Solar Max in 2014. We want to see what can be learned and how data can prepare us for the next peak of the cycle, expected in 2025. So stay tuned this fall as we share cool photos, videos, social media and space weather data and talk to the experts about the drivers of geomagnetic storms and what to watch for in the months and years ahead!
COMING THIS FALL:
AURORA FORECAST 2.0
LEARNING CENTRE
CITIZEN SCIENCE NORTH
THE LEGENDARY SKY
NORTHERN LIGHTHOUSE 2.0
CELEBRATING 20 YEARS!
New Horizons: Exploring the Power of Citizen Science in a Changing North
The universe is evolving, and so are we! With our 20th Anniversary celebration just around the corner in 2024, Astronomy North is preparing to modernize our programs and services and introduce new initiatives that explore the power of citizen science in a changing North – how cool is that! Watch for more updates this fall and join us as we celebrate 20 years of exploring the nature, culture and wonder of Canada’s northern sky!
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Forming as a club in Yellowknife in 2004, Astronomy North began as a small group of volunteers offering community aurora forecasting, hosting sidewalk astronomy and classroom presentations and guest presentations at the museum. A few years later, in 2008, we introduced the NWT Astronomy Plan and soon after became a non-profit territorial society that designed, developed and managed projects that aimed to benefit communities in the Northwest Territories as part of the International Year of Astronomy in 2009.
That year we launched our two flagship projects in partnership with the Canadian Space Agency – The AuroraMAX Project and The Legendary Sky Project, and added The Northern Lighthouse Project a few years later.
Along with our projects, our volunteer crew of citizen scientists has also been delivering some cool support services including aurora forecasting, a national AuroraMAX Alert system and continues to offer free space weather training for tour operators – and we’re going to continue inviting everyone to explore the nature, culture and wonder of Canada’s northern sky.
The new organization, to be unveiled in 2024, will have a new emphasis on citizen science in a changing north, exploring new frontiers, new partnerships and new initiatives that align with community priorities and help make the Universe a better place.
Stay tuned for more updates on our 20th Anniversary celebration this fall.