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A stream of charged particles called the solar wind flows from the Sun toward Earth. Long before it reaches Earth, it meets the Earth’s magnetic fields that shield our planet like a giant umbrella. Powerful space physics phenomena unfold where the solar wind meets this umbrella, spawning beautiful auroras, and also releasing energy that can disrupt GPS and communications systems and endanger astronauts.The Space Umbrella project needs your help classifying data from this dynamic region, where NASA’s Magnetosphere Multiscale (MMS) Mission has been collecting data since 2015. With the Space Umbrella project, you will help identify when the MMS spacecraft observed the most energetic interactions between the magnetosphere and the solar wind. You can help build the biggest ever collection or catalog of times when charged particles from the Sun interacted strongly with the Earth’s magnetic field, supercharging human understanding of solar wind.
Go to Project Website about Space Umbrella
project task
Examine images
division
Heliophysics
where
Online
launched
2025
What you’ll do
Examine real data from NASA’s Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission.
Learn how to spot data collected when the satellite was inside Earth’s magnetic field and when the magnetosphere is interacting with the Sun’s particles.
Help scientists better understand solar storms so they can keep our astronauts and technology safe.
Requirements
Time: 10 minutes to complete the project tutorial
Equipment: internet connected computer, tablet, or smartphone
Knowledge: None. In project tutorial provided.
Get started!
Visit the project website.
Complete the in-project tutorial
Start classifying images of Earth’s magnetosphere!
Learn More
Follow the links on the project’s Education page to learn more on a variety of related topics, from the magnetosph …