Presentation #306.01 in the session Innovation and Discovery in Solar and Space Physics Enabled by Citizen Science.
What is now known primarily as citizen science has existed in the Heliophysics field since before the inception of Western science, with inquiry- and curiosity-driven experiments and observations. This talk will present a selection of examples from the past, present, and future, largely focused on results from the auroral science and related fields. We will also highlight upcoming opportunities for citizen science during the second solar maximum that coincides with social media, and which intersects with major solar eclipses across North America. A people-focused initiative begun in NASA Heliophysics called the Heliophysics Big Year will be presented as an opportunity for the public to feed their joy and curiosity while contributing to science.