I'm wondering if there's any units who have participated in citizen science projects like Moon Zoo (http://www.moonzoo.org/) or Galaxy Zoo (http://www.galaxyzoo.org/) (both part of Zooniverse), or a similar project.
Whenever possible, I look for opportunities for cadets to DO science, rather than just take more classes - something they already do all day.
I got some science experiment books on topics like physical science and weather, but I'm interested in some more unique/long-term projects.
I had never heard of the Citizen Science Projects. Is there a link for more information?
There's a number of different projects out there. NASA and others have done various projects over the years. I'm still researching what options would be good for CAP units.
Here's some Moon Zoo information:
http://www.moonzoo.org/how_to_take_part (http://captalk.net/Here%27s%20some%20Moon%20Zoo%20information:%20%5Burl=http://www.moonzoo.org/how_to_take_part)
Here's a video of Galaxy Zoo classifying. They have a system that's made to be used in classroom - like on a projector with the group:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNkMrXVPwWA (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNkMrXVPwWA)
With Planet Four, cadets can experience the surface of Mars, see the planet in detail, and help classify images of the surface:
http://www.planetfour.org/#/about (http://www.planetfour.org/#/about)
CAP has a bit of a history of doing citizen science:
http://www.universetoday.com/100744/citizen-science-old-school-style-the-true-tale-of-operation-moonwatch/ (http://www.universetoday.com/100744/citizen-science-old-school-style-the-true-tale-of-operation-moonwatch/)
I did this in AFJROTC and have brought it up to the CDC of my current squadron but it is a great activity.
http://www.nasa.gov/topics/technology/moonbuggy/index.html (http://www.nasa.gov/topics/technology/moonbuggy/index.html)
That looks like an interesting engineering thing
When I started the project at my JROTC unit in '01 I had to go to the local plant and pitch the idea to their head of engineering to obtain sponsorship and engineering support. It was a great experience having to make the pitch and then coordinate with the facility, and as a highschool sophomore it gave me tools to help in the real world after graduation.
Do you know what kind of budget it had?
I've been looking at the computer-based space stuff - partly because it's cheap to do. I have a lot of science experiments to look over, but those will cost more for supplies.
Other than the money we spent to get to Maxwell AFB for the competition I think it was under $1000. It was cheaper on the 2nd and 3rd years since we were just tweaking the previous designs.
There is also this option if money is an issue. It is an exoplanet search that Harvard has set up. You can get archived images that have already been taken and you can request that the telescopes take images that you want. You then use those images to search for an exoplanet orbited a star. It might take a few classes to get you cadets trained in what to look for but I enjoy doing this late at night when the insomnia bug bites.
https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/smgphp/otherworlds/OE/ (https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/smgphp/otherworlds/OE/)
Its also fun to speculate on what you might be seeing in the images, I have a few I saved because it was interesting that I will share if you pm me an email since I cant post them here for some reason. But in one series there was an item that flew through screen which I thought could have been a comet or asteroid until i saw it a few days later going the other direction.
That might work well with my supplemental plan to have cadets search the skies for a planet to be named for me. >:D
I think that I looked at this before, but it appears they've changed their process. I think there was an issue of long waiting periods for time on the telescope.