The Spectrum of Citizen Science Projects in Astronomy and Space Science

Citizen science projects are gaining in popularity and are seen by some as a paradigm shift that will benefit participants, extend scientific research, and improve public understanding of how science is done. All projects engage nonspecialists in observations, measurements, or classifications that further some aspect of scientific activity. In astronomy and space science, there is a range of involvement from passive to active, and differences in how necessary the citizen scientists are to the scientific goals of the project. Some projects are dealing with scientific questions that could not be investigated effectively and efficiently without the aid of large numbers of human volunteers. We will conduct a panel discussion of the lessons learned from several current citizen science projects in astronomy and space science. We will also engage session participants in round table discussions of future citizen science projects, especially in light of the large data sets becoming available online and access to educational telescopes.