21 July 2026
Scientists studying space weather are turning to human volunteers rather than artificial intelligence to help sort through hundreds of thousands of images of the Arctic sky.
The Clear Skies – Kiruna project, funded by the Natural Environment Research Council, is asking members of the public to look at pictures of the sky above Kiruna, Sweden, and say whether it is clear or cloudy. Volunteers need no experience to get involved.
Scientists in the high Arctic use radar and cameras to measure winds and temperature high above the Earth. These instruments can only take useful measurements when the sky is clear, but there is currently no automatic way to tell whether this is the case.
By marking each image as clear or cloudy, volunteers will help the team understand and predict space weather, which can disrupt satellites, radio signals and other technology if left unmonitored.
Professor Chris Scott, leading the research from the University of Reading, said: "Clear skies are vital for successful measurement of winds on the edge of space. By classifying these images, you will be helping us advance our scientific understanding, and you will get to see the aurora.
"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. No experience is necessary, just an interest in the night sky and a desire to help important science."
Since 2003, a camera has photographed the whole sky above Kiruna every five minutes. Volunteers are being asked to look through more than 40,000 of these images to begin with, out of a much larger collection 12 times that size.
Anyone can take part by visiting: Clear Skies – Kiruna
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