Hunt solar flares
Cosmic On Air is a citizen science project
Help scientists and advance science by measuring cosmic radiation on board an aircraft
The Cosmic On Air project
The Cosmic On Air project is a citizen science project which aims to collect measurements of dose rate carried out on board airplane by the public to organize and make them available to the scientific community, in particular those which could be carried out during solar flares. These phenomena can significantly increase dose rates at flight altitudes. Solar eruptions are sporadic phenomena and those with a significant effect in terms of dose rate are rare. For this reason, very few measurements on board aircraft have been made, which limits the understanding of these phenomena in the atmosphere.
Partners of the project
IRSN The French national Institute of radiological protection and nuclear safety contributes its expertise and technical and operational input to support public authorities.
OBSPM Founded in 1667, the Observatoire de Paris is the largest national research center for astronomy. 30 % of all French astronomers are working in it five laboratories and its institute.
The Metrological and Applied Sciences University Research Unit (MeASURe) within the Department of Physics, University of Cape Town, South Africa, focuses on applications which require novel measurement techniques, particularly using neutron and gamma radiation. Within MeASURe is the n-lab, a unique facility on the African continent offering access to fast neutron beams up to 14.1 MeV. The n-lab provides an accessible and flexible testing ground for the rapid prototyping of new detector systems; analysis techniques for a broad range of applications; and to provide practical training in nuclear physics research.
How to participate?
The Cosmic On Air project is based on the OpenRadiation platform that allows citizens to measure and share cosmic radiation measurements. To perform a measurement, you must acquire a sensor and install the RiumApp mobile application.
Get a sensor
First, you need to acquire a connected sensor compatible with your phone
Get the app
Register on the OpenRadiation website and get the RiumApp mobile application
Take a plane
Next time you take a plane, don't forget your sensor and follow the instructions to take measurements
The measurements
All collected data is published and can be used and re-used under open licensing.
Data is collected and published on the OpenRadiation platform.
