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What’s the Weather Like on Mars?
Meet the scientists behind Cloudspotting on Mars, a NASA-supported project, and learn how to locate and identify clouds in the exotic Martian atmosphere.
Welcome hosts and facilitators!
We’re so glad you’re hosting an in-person gathering to stream the Acts of Science: Connected virtual event, What’s the weather like on Mars? featuring the citizen science project Cloudspotting on Mars.
LIVE Event
Two options on April 2, 2026:
2 PM ET
9 PM ET
Event Duration: 2 hours
As a host, you must register for this event to receive the Zoom link to join. Your guests do not need to register independently.
This is a signature event of Citizen Science Month 2026, and all activity counts towards a collective goal of 2.50 Million Acts of Science before the end of April. Report your Acts of Science, which includes event attendance and estimated Cloudspotting on Mars classifications, to CitizenScienceMonth.org!
The below toolkit is designed to orient you to the project and help you prepare to host a successful in-person event in your space.
Welcome from the Project Leader
Project SCientist
Marek Slipski
Research Scientist
Project Description
Cloudspotting on Mars invites participants to explore clouds in the Martian sky using real data from the Mars Climate Sounder aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. By helping scientists map high-altitude water-ice and carbon-dioxide clouds, volunteers contribute to research on how clouds shape Mars’s climate and what they reveal about the planet’s past, including conditions that may once have supported liquid water. Participants will learn how to spot signs of clouds in images from the Mars Climate Sounder and label their features so the project team can study how these clouds form and evolve.
You can learn how to participate in the project alongside your audience, or explore it ahead of time if you’d like. Learn more about the project here.
Technology Needed to Host This Event
This event is a livestream through Zoom. Participants gathered in-person at your site will watch and listen together live while joining the activity on their own devices (phones, tablets, or laptops).
To fully participate, please plan for the following:
- A computer (laptop or desktop)
- Used to log into Zoom and share the livestream with the group
- Reliable internet connection (wired is best, if available)
- Large display for group viewing
- A projector and screen or a large TV/monitor
- HDMI (or appropriate) cable to connect the computer to the display
- Sound for the room
- External speakers, TV speakers, or a projector with built-in audio
- Sounds should be loud enough for the whole room, test with audience upon the start of the event
- Participant Devices
- Notify your guests ahead of time if they need to bring their own device or if you will supply them
- Ensure your guests have access to the Wi-Fi at the host location
- Use our printable instructions to help your audience set up their accounts to participate before or during the event
Strongly Recommended: A stable internet connection is important for a smooth experience. If possible, avoid public or heavily restricted Wi-Fi. We recommend testing Zoom audio and video on your computer before the event to be sure everything looks and sounds good.
Facilitation Support
- Create a Free SciStarter Account: SciStarter.org/login. For participants under 13, an adult should set up a family account.
- Sign up for Zooniverse at Zooniverse.org.
- Return to SciStarter.org and click the dropdown icon next to your profile name and select “My Info & Settings” to visit your SciStarter Dashboard.
- Add your Zooniverse username to the “affiliate integration” box to start tracking contributions.
- Visit the Cloudspotting on Mars page on Zooniverse to get started on a workflow. Before you work on real data, make sure to look through the brief tutorial.
- Start searching for clouds! Completely label as many images as you’d like.
Print and distribute the instructions for your guests.
If someone shares misinformation
You don’t need to debate or correct everything. You can say, “There’s a lot of information out there, and it can be confusing,” or simply thank them for sharing and redirect back to the activity.
If someone has a strong or disruptive opinion
Before your event, align with library staff on how to handle interruptions. If a strong opinion starts to disrupt the program, pause and loop in staff so the group can stay focused on the activity.
If you’re asked a question you can’t answer
It’s okay to say, “I’m not sure, but I can help find out.” For questions about project science or data protocols, you can submit the question to the Q&A for support.
If you notice inaccurate data being submitted
Use it as a teaching moment. Sit with the participant, thank them for their enthusiasm and effort and gently walk through how to submit data correctly, modeling the process step by step.
The Cloudspotting on Mars team provides supplemental learning materials at the end of their research page on Zooniverse about Mars and clouds. Included in the resources, you will find:
- Information on the basics of Mars (youth-friendly articles / videos),
- Mars in virtual reality,
- A deep dive on Martian clouds, and
- Updates about the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
Promotional Resources
Use these resources to promote your in-person event. See all promotional tools in this google folder.
Posters
Available in multiple time zones.
Social Media and Graphics
Keep It Going
Print and distribute this flyer so your guests can continue participating in this project from home.
Thank You!
Thank you for facilitating this event and supporting the citizen science project Cloudspotting on Mars. With your help, scientists and researchers will be able to create a database of mapped clouds and improve our understanding of how they form and influence Mars.
By guiding participants through this project, you’re helping scientists speed up the process of discovery, while giving your community a chance to contribute to real, ongoing research. Your time, curiosity, and leadership make these discoveries possible.
We’re grateful for your partnership and for the role you play in planetary science—one image at a time.
Please take a moment to complete our brief post-event survey. Your response should take less than 5 minutes.
All activity in April, Citizen Science Month 2026, counts towards a collective goal of 2.50 Million Acts of Science. Report your Acts of Science, which includes event attendance and estimated Cloudspotting on Mars classifications, to CitizenScienceMonth.org!