How can I participate in NASA's solar eclipse image coding competition?
NASA is looking for volunteers with “attention to detail” to participate in its image coding competition for the Eclipse Megamovie project.
“Making the most of a solar eclipse demands attention to detail,” says NASA and the US space agency is wondering “Do you have what it takes?” If you think you do, you are invited to take part in NASA’s Eclipse Megamovie coding competition.
NASA needs help organizing more than 1 terabyte of photographs that were taken by over 145 citizen scientists during the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse. Those that want to participate will contribute by developing “code that accurately identifies the solar eclipse phases within photographs.” That will enable NASA to get over a major data processing hurdle.
“This is your chance to make a lasting contribution to solar science!”
How can I participate in NASA’s solar eclipse image coding competition?
Participants will be tasked with creating the most accurate sorting machine for categorizing an image of the solar eclipse into a specific phase of the event. NASA says that contestants will know they succeeded if their code can successfully categorize the photographs they receive into the following five categories:
- Darks or flats (calibration shots)
- Partial eclipse phases (bins of 20 degrees)
- Diamond ring phase
- Total solar eclipse phases
- A category for things that are not solar eclipses
You can sign up for the solar eclipse image coding competition on the Eclipse Megamovie page on Kaggle, a data science competition platform. Competitors can submit up to 5 entries per day and form teams consisting of up to five members.
The final date to enter and form a team is November 18, 2024. The competition ends December 2, 2024 at 11:59 pm Hawaiian Time.
NASA says that “not only will your code help organize the massive amounts of data collected, but you’ll also have the chance to win some prizes.”
The first-place winner will get image-stabilized binoculars with solar filters, a Spotlight on the Eclipse Megamovie website, an Eclipse Megamovie Team Patch, a NASA calendar, an Eclipse Megamovie sticker and a First Prize certificate.
Second- and third-place winners will get a Spotlight on the Eclipse Megamovie website, an Eclipse Megamovie Team Patch, a NASA calendar, an Eclipse Megamovie sticker and a Second and Third Prize certificate, respectively.