The North Dakota Dual Aurora Camera Version 2.0 (NoDDAC2.0), a platform for citizen science and a testbed for implementing best practices in open data and collaboration

The North Dakota Dual Aurora Camera (NoDDAC) is an interdisciplinary project in collaboration with the University of North Dakota (UND), Live Aurora Network, and Aurorasaurus. Aurora cameras provide ground-truth visual data to aurora chasers and scientists, but are sparse at midlatitudes, 35-55 °N. Deploying light-sensitive video and allsky still cameras at these midlatitudes provides a valuable resource to aurora chasing communities and demonstrates scientific merit. For example, the analysis of rare auroral phenomena benefits from observations at multiple locations. In addition, NoDDAC data can be correlated with magnetometer and geomagnetic indices to investigate the connection between optical aurora and magnetospheric science. This project is unique; utilizing dual cameras with consumer-off-the-shelf (COTS) equipment, emphasizing open data as a responsive community resource, and promoting citizen science make NoDDAC an accessible resource benefiting multiple audiences. Since early 2021, NoDDAC has detected aurora on more than 30 occasions, as well as notable events like STEVEs (Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement) and noctilucent clouds.

NoDDAC is stationed at Martens Observatory (48.1°N, 97.6°W), which is operated by the UND Department of Physics and Astrophysics. Live Aurora Network provides housings that weatherproof both cameras, and their proprietary IPTimelapse software uploads images to a web server for analysis. This year we present NoDDAC2.0, the next evolution of NoDDAC funded by NASA’s EPSCoR program. NoDDAC2.0 will upgrade the allsky camera, feature a robust open-data platform to share aurora data with the public and scientists, and launch a citizen science project to categorize and identify auroras seen on the cameras. Most importantly, we present plans to collaborate with the Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation to install an independent aurora camera system in North Dakota. Not only does this represent a unique collaborative opportunity, but at a separation distance of 300 miles from Martens Observatory, this second camera will unlock unique research potential into the precise location, height, and spatial extent of certain auroral phenomena.