Blogs

The GLOBE Clouds team is delighted to announce this new section that showcases sky and cloud photographs from around the world! We’ve also been receiving some amazing questions from students. The featured question was asked by students from Corpus Christi Catholic School: Question: Why can we see clouds but not evaporation? Answer: Water vapor is invisible. However, the water in clouds...


Posted in: Curriculum: STEM GLOBE Science Topics: Backyard Science Climate Climate Change General Science General Science @es Earth as a System Earth System Science Investigation Areas: Atmosphere Earth As a System News Topics: News Briefs Primary Audience: Alumni Country Coordinators Partners Scientists Students Teachers Trainers

Waleska works with in-service teachers in the teacher training programs of the Galileo University and the University of San Carlos of Guatemala. She is the founder and coordinator of the STEAM program Question: Where are you from? Answer: I was born in the city of the eternal Spring, Guatemala City, in Central America, several eclipses, comets, and moons ago. Question: What inspired you...


Posted in: Curriculum: STEM GLOBE Science Topics: Backyard Science Climate Climate Change Data Included General Science General Science @es Scientist Skills Investigation Areas: Atmosphere Earth As a System Primary Audience: Alumni Country Coordinators Partners Scientists Students Teachers Trainers

  Brad Hegyi is a research scientist for the NASA Prediction of Worldwide Energy Resources (POWER) project team at Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, USA. Brad develops metrics and statistics for POWER from model estimates of future climate to help support planning for future energy use by heating and cooling systems in buildings. Brad also helps create interactive data products to...


Posted in: Curriculum: Technology STEM GLOBE Science Topics: Backyard Science Climate Climate Change Data Included General Science Earth as a System Earth System Science Scientist Skills Investigation Areas: Atmosphere Earth As a System Primary Audience: Alumni Country Coordinators Partners Scientists Students Teachers Trainers

The Sun drives many processes in Earth’s atmosphere. As the Sun rises and sets, it warms the Earth’s surface at different intensities. These changes in heat lead to changes in the clouds, especially the types of clouds. To study these changes, we need observations at different times over the course of hours, days, weeks, months, and years from around the globe. It can be tricky to capture the...


Posted in: Curriculum: STEM GLOBE Science Topics: Backyard Science Climate Climate Change Data Included General Science GLOBE Protocols Earth as a System Investigation Areas: Atmosphere Earth As a System

Energy from the Sun warms our planet, and changes in sunlight can also cause changes in temperature, clouds, and wind. Clouds are ever changing and give you clues and information on what is happening in the atmosphere. Eclipses provide a natural experiment, in which the Sun’s light is blocked from Earth for a brief period in time, allowing us to observe the effects of that sudden change. Read...


Posted in: Curriculum: STEM GLOBE Science Topics: Backyard Science Climate Climate Change GLOBE Protocols Earth as a System Investigation Areas: Atmosphere Atmosphere » Clouds Earth As a System Primary Audience: Alumni Country Coordinators Partners Scientists Students Teachers Trainers

A new resource is now available created by GLOBE educator Mr. Roger Rose (@rrose) as part of his NASA internship in 2023 titled, GLOBE Atmosphere Clouds and NGSS. This document compares portions of the clouds protocol to Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) for elementary and middle school with tips and resources to use in the classroom.  The document is available on the resources...


Posted in: Curriculum: Science and Math STEM GLOBE Science Topics: Backyard Science Climate GLOBE Protocols Scientist Skills Investigation Areas: Atmosphere Primary Audience: Country Coordinators Partners Teachers Trainers

¡Las novedades trimestrales de NASA GLOBE Nubes están disponibles! Próximamente: Reto de Nubes 2024 El equipo se complace en anunciar que en 2024 tendremos un Reto de Nubes centrado en cómo cambian las nubes a lo largo del día. Finaliza la primera misión satelital Lidar de larga duración CALIPSO CALIPSO (Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations, por sus siglas en...


Posted in: Investigation Areas: Atmosphere Atmosphere » Clouds

The NASA GLOBE Clouds Quarterly Update is available for December, January, February 2023-2024! Coming Soon: Cloud Challenge 2024 The team is excited to announce that in 2024 we will have a Cloud Challenge focused on how clouds change throughout the day. First Long-Duration Lidar Satellite Mission CALIPSO Ends CALIPSO (Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations), a...


Posted in: GLOBE Science Topics: Backyard Science Climate Climate Change GLOBE Protocols Investigation Areas: Atmosphere Atmosphere » Clouds News Topics: News Briefs Primary Audience: Alumni Country Coordinators Partners Scientists Students Teachers Trainers

The September/October/November 2023 NASA GLOBE Clouds Quarterly Update is now available! Find out how to sign up for NASA GLOBE Clouds communications in Spanish. Join our GLOBE Observer Connect series on October 5 at 8pm ET to learn about changes in the atmosphere and animal behaviors during an eclipse. Learn how to create a family emergency plan in case of extreme weather. Check out our “GLOBE...


Posted in: GLOBE Science Topics: Climate

Join the NASA GLOBE Clouds team and become GLOBE trained in cloud observations. Learn why clouds are important, how does NASA study clouds, and what are satellite matches. The clouds pacing guides will be used as starting points on how to do cloud observations in your classrooms or educational settings. Sign up today! https://www.globe.gov/get-trained/workshops/workshop/jT1U/161501


Posted in: GLOBE Science Topics: Backyard Science Climate GLOBE Protocols Investigation Areas: Atmosphere Atmosphere » Clouds Earth As a System Atmosphere » Precipitation News Topics: Regions Training News Briefs Primary Audience: Teachers Trainers

Novedades trimestrales de NASA GLOBE Clouds Diciembre/Enero/Febrero 2022-2023 Las novedades trimestrales de NASA GLOBE Nubes 2022-2023 están disponibles. Anuncio acerca de NOAA-20 En 2023, será posible hacer coincidir tus observaciones satelitales con un nuevo satélite. Obtén más información sobre NOAA-20 y cómo aumentar la posibilidad de obtener una coincidencia con satélites. NASA GLOBE...


Posted in: GLOBE International STEM Network (GISN): GLOBE International STEM Network (GISN) GLOBE Science Topics: Backyard Science Climate Climate Change General Science @es GLOBE Protocols Earth as a System Earth System Science GLOBE Working Groups: Science Working Group Investigation Areas: Atmosphere Atmosphere » Clouds Earth As a System News Topics: News Briefs Primary Audience: Alumni Country Coordinators Partners Scientists Students Teachers Trainers

The NASA GLOBE Clouds Quarterly Update is available for winter 2022-23! NOAA-20 Announcement In 2023, it will be possible for you to match your satellite observations with a new satellite. Learn more about NOAA-20 and how to increase the chance to get a satellite match. NASA GLOBE CLOUD GAZE Ends in 2022 After achieving an incredible number of sky photos’ classification, NASA GLOBE CLOUD GAZE...


Posted in: GLOBE International STEM Network (GISN): GLOBE International STEM Network (GISN) GLOBE Science Topics: Backyard Science Climate Climate Change Earth System Science GLOBE Working Groups: Science Working Group Investigation Areas: Atmosphere Atmosphere » Clouds Earth As a System News Topics: News Briefs Primary Audience: Alumni Country Coordinators Partners Scientists Students Teachers Trainers

Uno de los momentos más emocionantes al realizar una observación de nubes es recibir tu  correo electrónico personalizado de la NASA. El correo electrónico incluye datos sobre tu observación, hora y ubicación, y los compara con los datos obtenidos por satélites aproximadamente al mismo tiempo y en tu ubicación. Comprensión de las tres partes de tu tabla de coincidencias con satélites:...


Posted in: Curriculum: Language Culture and Arts Science and Math STEM GLOBE International STEM Network (GISN): GLOBE International STEM Network (GISN) GLOBE Science Topics: Backyard Science Climate Climate Change General Science GLOBE Protocols Earth as a System Earth System Science Investigation Areas: Atmosphere Earth As a System News Topics: News Briefs

El equipo de NASA GLOBE Nubes se complace en anunciar la adición de NOAA-20, un nuevo satélite, a las capacidades de comparación de satélites. Esto significa que cuando realizas tus observaciones de nubes, pueden coincidir con NOAA-20, pero ¿qué es NOAA-20? Todo sobre NOAA-20 NOAA-20, anteriormente conocido como JPSS-1, es uno de los cinco satélites que integrarán el Sistema Conjunto de...


Posted in: Curriculum: Science and Math Technology STEM GLOBE International STEM Network (GISN): GLOBE International STEM Network (GISN) GLOBE Science Topics: Backyard Science Climate General Science Earth as a System Earth System Science Investigation Areas: Atmosphere Earth As a System

Participating in the 2023 International Virtual Science Symposium (IVSS)? The GLOBE Clouds team have put together resources for you. GLOBE Clouds team members Marilé Colón Robles and Rosalba Giarratano have prepared a webinar available on YouTube in English and in Spanish.     The slides from the webinar: Presentation in English. Presentation in Spanish. Resources shared...


Posted in: GLOBE Science Topics: Earth as a System Scientist Skills Investigation Areas: Atmosphere Earth As a System News Topics: Virtual Science Fair

2022 Celebration   NASA GLOBE CLOUD GAZE has tagged over 735,000 photographs of sky and clouds all because of you! The photographs are part of cloud reports sent in from over 120 different countries and regions around the world. NASA GLOBE CLOUD GAZE is closing with a very successful story. The project will stop collecting data on 1 December 2022. On 16 December 2022, NASA GLOBE CLOUD GAZE...


Posted in: Investigation Areas: Atmosphere News Topics: News Briefs

The NASA GLOBE Clouds Quarterly Update is available for September/October/November 2022! Match to a Million Satellite Matches Celebration Thanks to you, The GLOBE Program has reached one million satellite observations matched to your cloud reports! Share in the celebration and thank you videos made just for you. GLOBE Clouds New Satellite Matching: NOAA-20 The NASA GLOBE Clouds team will soon...


Posted in: Curriculum: Science and Math GLOBE International STEM Network (GISN): GLOBE International STEM Network (GISN) GLOBE Science Topics: Backyard Science Climate Climate Change GLOBE Protocols Earth as a System Investigation Areas: Atmosphere Atmosphere » Clouds

Did you know that clouds can both warm and cool our planet? Keeping an eye on clouds helps NASA study our climate. You can notice some of these changes by just looking at the clouds.  Here are some examples you might have already noticed: Do all clouds cast shadows? Low thick clouds tend to cast the most shadows. The shadows show you how the cloud is blocking the light from the sun...


Posted in: Curriculum: Science and Math STEM GLOBE Science Topics: Backyard Science Climate Climate Change General Science GLOBE Protocols Earth as a System Scientist Skills Investigation Areas: Atmosphere Primary Audience: Alumni Country Coordinators Partners Scientists Students Teachers Trainers

The weather has been really kicking up quite a bit of whacky weather in November.  On November 2, 2021, the town of Kikonai in northern Japan’s Kokkaido prefecture set a record amount of rainfall of 2.2 inches (5.5 centimeters) in 10 minutes.  Wow!!  That’s a lot of rain in a short amount of time!  You can see where the rainfall fell on the image below! (credit: Extreme...


Posted in: Investigation Areas: Atmosphere Earth As a System

  Stratus clouds are one of the three main types of clouds. Remember that there are many types of clouds that fall into three main categories: cumulus, stratus, and cirrus. Using hand-motions, we would stretch out our hands as far out as we could to mimic a stratus cloud. There are stratus-type clouds at all three basic altitude levels. These are: stratus clouds (low level), altostratus...


Posted in: Curriculum: Science and Math STEM GLOBE Science Topics: General Science GLOBE Protocols Investigation Areas: Atmosphere Earth As a System Primary Audience: Alumni Country Coordinators Partners Students Teachers Trainers

Have you heard there is a new clouds project? It is called NASA GLOBE CLOUD GAZE. It is a merger of GLOBE Clouds and The Zooniverse online citizen science platform. A one-week pacing guide is now available! Sky photographs are one of the most requested portions of a GLOBE Clouds observation. This is because there is so much you can do with them. Photographs give scientists the...


Posted in: Curriculum: Science and Math STEM GLOBE Science Topics: Backyard Science Climate Climate Change Data Included General Science GLOBE Protocols Earth System Science Investigation Areas: Atmosphere Learning Activities: Atmosphere and Climate News Topics: News Briefs Primary Audience: Alumni Country Coordinators Partners Scientists Students Teachers Trainers

Many protocol-trained GLOBE members may have noticed a recent update to the GLOBE Program’s GLOBE Observer app. The change brings a new look and a new way to submit GLOBE atmospheric measurements. If you were used to entering meteorological conditions in the Cloud Tool, you’ll see this option is no longer there. Don’t worry, you can still submit these observations through the Atmosphere...


Posted in: GLOBE Science Topics: Climate Climate Change Data Included General Science GLOBE Protocols Investigation Areas: Atmosphere Earth As a System Primary Audience: Alumni Country Coordinators Partners Teachers Trainers

Every time you take a cloud observation, the NASA GLOBE Clouds team matches your observation to satellite data. Why do we do this? Your view of clouds is from a different perspective than what is observed from a satellite. Satellites look down at clouds and see the top. When you make your observation, you are looking up towards the sky and seeing the bottom of the clouds. When there is a...


Posted in: Curriculum: Education Research Science and Math STEM GLOBE Science Topics: Backyard Science Climate Climate Change Data Included General Science GLOBE Protocols Earth as a System Earth System Science Scientist Skills Investigation Areas: Atmosphere Earth As a System News Topics: Regions Primary Audience: Alumni Country Coordinators Partners Scientists Students Teachers Trainers

The NASA GLOBE Clouds team highlights cloud observers Hilde Fålun Strøm (Norway) and Sunniva Sorby (Canada), who created Hearts In The Ice to call attention to all the rapid changes occurring in the polar regions due to the changing climate. These citizen scientists made history last year by being the first women to overwinter solo in the high Arctic. They spent 12...


Posted in: Curriculum: Language Culture and Arts STEM GLOBE Science Topics: Backyard Science Climate Climate Change Data Included General Science Earth as a System Earth System Science Scientist Skills GLOBE Working Groups: Science Working Group Education Working Group Investigation Areas: Atmosphere Earth As a System News Topics: Community Letters News Briefs Primary Audience: Alumni Country Coordinators Partners Scientists Students Teachers Trainers

The NASA GLOBE Clouds team is continuously working with scientists around the world finding ways that cloud observations from citizen scientists impact the most. As we find new ways of using the data, we want to remind you how important each part of your cloud report is to the scientific community. All cloud observations can help with big questions such as the link between clouds and...


Posted in: Curriculum: Assessment and Evaluation Education Research Science and Math STEM GLOBE Science Topics: Backyard Science Climate Climate Change General Science GLOBE Protocols Earth as a System Earth System Science Scientist Skills GLOBE Working Groups: Science Working Group Education Working Group Investigation Areas: Atmosphere Earth As a System Learning Activities: Atmosphere and Climate News Topics: Community Letters News Briefs Primary Audience: Alumni Country Coordinators Partners Scientists Students Teachers Trainers Student Research Reports: Standard Research Report Teacher's Guide: Investigation Area Documents

Each cloud observation submitted using the GLOBE Observer app or through The GLOBE Program is compared to data from multiple satellites. A satellite match is when satellite data is identified that corresponds to a cloud observation. For orbiting satellites the observation must be within 15 minutes before or after a satellite’s overpass. Geostationary satellites, like the GOES satellites, are...


Posted in: Curriculum: Science and Math STEM GLOBE Science Topics: Backyard Science Climate General Science GLOBE Protocols Earth as a System Earth System Science Scientist Skills Investigation Areas: Atmosphere Earth As a System News Topics: Community Letters News Briefs Primary Audience: Alumni Country Coordinators Partners Scientists Students Teachers Trainers

The NASA GLOBE Clouds team at NASA Langley Research Center is working with NASA scientist Dr. Bill Smith to use GLOBE Cloud observations made by people just like you to solve the Terminator Problem! Wait, what? Well, the Solar Terminator or twilight zone is that line that separates the daylit side of a planet from the dark night side. The image on the left is an example. It was taken...


Posted in: Curriculum: Education Research Science and Math Technology STEM GLOBE Science Topics: Backyard Science Climate Climate Change Data Included General Science GLOBE Protocols Earth as a System Earth System Science Scientist Skills Investigation Areas: Atmosphere Earth As a System Learning Activities: Atmosphere and Climate Earth as a System News Topics: Community Letters News Briefs Student Research Reports: Standard Research Report International Virtual Science Symposium Report U.S. Student Research Symposia (SRS)

In May 2020, citizen scientist Carmen Mandel met two major milestones: she marked her one-year anniversary of being a GLOBE Observer and she single-handedly expanded the Clouds satellite match data by 36%. Carmen uses GLOBE Observer to record clouds 2-3 times daily every time she gets a notification that a NASA satellite is overhead. She sends her data to GLOBE, but then she...


Posted in: GLOBE Science Topics: Backyard Science Data Included Earth System Science General Science Investigation Areas: Atmosphere Atmosphere » Clouds Primary Audience: Alumni Country Coordinators Scientists Students

Images taken by Wilson Bentley and property of the Jericho Historical Society.  Did you know that clouds have names? As the title of the GLOBE Elementary book says, clouds do have names. Those names describe the altitude and the appearance of the cloud. Cumulus means pile in Latin, so the name is used to describe low puffy clouds in the sky. Cirrus means locks of hair, and is used to...


Posted in: Curriculum: Assessment and Evaluation GLOBE Science Topics: Backyard Science Investigation Areas: Atmosphere Learning Activities: Atmosphere and Climate News Topics: Community Letters Primary Audience: Alumni

Scientists are wondering what is happening over Antarctica and where are the noctilucent clouds. Noctilucent clouds or polar mesospheric clouds are the highest occurring cloud types (form about 50 miles or 80 Km above the Earth's surface). They form in the Mesosphere and are thin clouds made up of ice crystals that form from left over fine dust from meteors. Because they are so high up in the...


Posted in: GLOBE Science Topics: Climate Climate Change Investigation Areas: Atmosphere Earth As a System Primary Audience: Alumni Country Coordinators Partners Scientists Students Teachers Trainers