From the group that brought you
Galaxy Zoo — the citizen science project where you help categorize galaxies — comes
Moon Zoo. This project follows a similar premise: Members of the public help scientists analyze astronomical objects in ways that computers can’t.
Moon Zoo uses the comprehensive catalog of images taken by the main camera of
NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter’s (LRO) over the past 11 months. (LRO launched June 18, 2009.) The LRO Camera snaps pictures in impressive detail — it sees objects as small as 20 inches (50 centimeters) across from its circular orbit 31 miles (50 kilometers) above the surface. It has imaged boulders, mounds, cracks, channels, and different type of craters — all objects that Moon Zoo asks users to identify. Did I mention you also can categorize spacecraft on the lunar surface?
The first step on the Moon Zoo website is to log in — you’ll use the same username and password as your Galaxy Zoo information (and it’s super easy to set one up if you haven’t used Galaxy Zoo before). The Moon Zoo’s largest project is the “Crater Survey.” In this task, you’ll inspect a photo of the lunar surface and mark all craters that are at least the size of the cursor tool. You’ll also have a chance to look for boulders in the craters, specific types of craters (like fresh new white ones), and other objects. I recommend keeping the “How To Take Part” page open in another tab or window while using the Crater Survey as you grow familiar with the process.
Moon Zoo also sports a “Boulder Wars” game. Think of it like the card game “War,” where the highest number wins. In this task, the photo with the most boulders “wins” if you click on it.
If you have a few minutes (or hours) to kill, check out the Moon Zoo website, follow the 4½-minute tutorial about how to mark objects, and then do some science. Given how popular Galaxy Zoo has been, I bet Moon Zoo will follow closely in its footsteps — especially because it concerns our nearest and dearest neighbor.