Get the App
Get the App
Our app, GLOBE Observer, invites you to make environmental observations that complement NASA satellite observations to help scientists studying Earth and the global environment. Anyone in a participating GLOBE country can download and use the app on iPhone or Android devices. Lee esta página en español.
By using the GLOBE Observer app, you are joining the GLOBE community and contributing important scientific data to NASA and GLOBE, as well as to your local community and the broader public.
To participate, download the app, register with an email address (you can also register using a web form), then go outside and follow the prompts in the app to observe your environment. Children under the age of 13 should be supervised by an adult. Always follow the rules and restrictions in your area and guidelines from your local officials, and only participate in GLOBE activities or use the GLOBE Observer app when it is safe to do so.
As you collect data, you can earn badges for the following observation milestones submitted under each protocol: 1, 5, 10, 25, 50, 75, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, and 400+. You will receive an email with each milestone badge, unless you choose to opt out under your account settings. You can also start a streak by collecting data for more than 2 days in a row. You may miss up to two days without disrupting your streak. Track your badges and streaks under My Achievements on the GLOBE Observer app home screen. Learn more.
New and interested users are encouraged to learn more about GLOBE. A one-page summary of GLOBE Observer is also available.
The GLOBE Observer app currently includes GLOBE Data Entry and four tools that enable app-based data collection: Clouds, Mosquito Habitat Mapper, Land Cover, and Trees.
By photographing clouds, recording sky observations, and comparing them with NASA satellite data, you can help scientists gain a new perspective on clouds that satellites just can't provide: from the ground looking up! This new perspective will help refine satellite-derived models and enhance scientific understanding of Earth's atmosphere.
By identifying potential breeding sites for mosquitoes, sampling and counting mosquito larvae, and using optional equipment to examine, photograph, and identify the genus of your specimens, you will enable scientists to verify predictive models of mosquito population dynamics. In addition, public health authorities can use your observations to inform where, when, and how to intervene in their communities to reduce disease risk.
By photographing and classifying the land cover over an area the size of a soccer field, you will assist those scientists working to enhance global maps of land cover use. Your observations will contribute to new maps with a finer spatial resolution than is possible using satellites alone. Land cover is critical to many different Earth processes and is of interest to a wide variety of scientists and decision makers.
The Trees tool allows GLOBE participants to measure tree height (and optionally tree circumference) to track the growth of trees over time. Tree height is the most widely used indicator of an environment’s ability to grow trees. Observing tree height allows NASA scientists to understand the gain or loss of biomass which can inform calculations of the carbon that trees and forests either take in from or release into the atmosphere.
Enter data for all other GLOBE protocols through the GLOBE Data Entry button in the GLOBE Observer app. These GLOBE protocols require training and external equipment.
Available Languages:
The GLOBE Observer app is currently available in these languages:
● متوفر باللغة العربية
● 提供中文版本
● Dostupno na hrvatskom jeziku
● Beschikbaar in het Nederlands
● Disponible en français
● Erhältlich auf Deutsch
● Available in English
● हिंदी में उपलब्ध है
● Dostępne w języku polskim
● Disponível em português
● Доступно на русском
● Disponible en español
● Inapatikana kwa Kiswahili
● มีให้ในภาษาไทย
● Phiên bản Tiếng Việt
We hope you will join us in observing the world around you with GLOBE!
Video Tutorials on How to Use the GLOBE Observer App
Get to know the features of the GLOBE Observer app with these short video tutorials.
How to Classify Land Cover
Learn how to take a land cover observation, including classifying land cover type.
How to Turn on Satellite Flyover Notifications
Learn how to turn on satellite flyover notifications for your current location.
How to Change the Display Language
Learn how to change the display language for the text in the app.
How to Submit Your Data to GLOBE
Learn how to submit GLOBE data you have collected with the app.
How to See Your Past Observations
Learn how to see the data you have already submitted to GLOBE.
How to Connect to SciStarter
Learn how to connect to SciStarter to allow your GLOBE data contributions to appear on your SciStarter dashboard.
How to Opt-In to GLOBE Observer News
Learn how to opt-in to receive occasional emails with GLOBE Observer news.