Every five minutes since 2003, a camera in Kiruna, Sweden has snapped a photo of the entire Arctic sky. That adds up to a massive archive of images showing everything from brilliant auroras dancing in green and purple to wispy clouds drifting across the darkness. Now scientists need human eyes to make sense of them all.
Researchers at the University of Reading are inviting ordinary people to help classify more than 40,000 images from this collection. The task is simple: look at each picture and say whether the sky was clear or cloudy that night. No special training required, just curiosity about the night sky.
The project, called Clear Skies—Kiruna, focuses on a surprisingly tricky problem. Scientists in the Arctic use radar and cameras to measure winds and temperatures high above Earth, information that helps them understand and predict space weather. But these instruments only work when the sky is clear. The challenge? Telling the difference between thin, wispy clouds and glowing aurora light is incredibly hard for computers.
"The reason we need people rather than AI is that the difference between wispy clouds and swirling aurora can be very subtle, and the human eye is still much better at telling them apart," said Professor Chris Scott, who is leading the research.
Why does this matter? Space weather might sound abstract, but it has real effects on technology people rely on every day. When solar storms hit Earth, they can disrupt satellite signals, interfere with radio communications, and even affect power grids. Understanding and predicting these storms helps protect the systems modern life depends on.
Volunteers who take part will get something extra too: the chance to see the aurora borealis without even stepping outside. The images capture the stunning light shows that appear over northern Sweden, making the work both helpful and beautiful.
The full archive contains about 12 times more images than the initial 40,000 volunteers will tackle, meaning there is plenty more to explore for those who want to keep helping. Anyone with an interest in the night sky can join by visiting the Clear Skies—Kiruna website.
Professor Scott put it simply: "By classifying these images, you will be helping us advance our scientific understanding, and you will get to see the aurora." In other words, a few minutes of your time could help protect the satellites and signals we all depend on — and treat yourself to some incredible views along the way.