GLOBE Observer

NASA 

About this app

GLOBE Observer invites you to make observations of the Earth around you. Observations you collect and submit with this app are designed to help scientists better understand satellite data collected by NASA from space.

The current version includes four capabilities. GLOBE Clouds allows observers to make regular observations of the Earth’s cloud cover and compare them to NASA satellite observations. With GLOBE Mosquito Habitat Mapper, users locate mosquito habitats, observe and identify mosquito larvae, and reduce the potential threat of mosquito borne disease. GLOBE Land Cover is designed to allow users to document what is on the land (trees, grass, buildings, etc.). GLOBE Trees asks users to estimate a tree’s height by taking pictures of trees with their device and answering a few questions. Additional capabilities may be added.

By using the GLOBE Observer app, you are joining the GLOBE community and contributing important scientific data to NASA and GLOBE, your local community, and students and scientists worldwide. The Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Program is an international science and education program that provides students and the public worldwide with the opportunity to participate in data collection and the scientific process, and contribute meaningfully to our understanding of the Earth system and global environment.

Ratings and reviews

Had to force close the app numerous times to get the app to finish its update process. After that mess, it refused to let me create an account. Kept saying my password did not meet the requirements. Best i can figure is the internal browser the app uses is incompatible with the account creation webpage. After an hour trying to use this app, a dozens randomly generated passwords that would not work, i have given up. Sadly, I cannot help with measuring the April 8, 2024 solar eclipse.

This app is an amazing idea and a great help for me to map trees as part of college work buuuut it could definitely use some improvements. First of all the app is hard to use, the fact that you have to go through so many menus and screens to map a tree is disruptive, another huge problem i had is when taking picture, i have a samsung s9 so the pictures should look good enough but that isnt the case since the app camera doesnt focus or let me try to focus. I hope they fix it

Basic control and very easy to use. Only 2 issues I've had is that twice now the compass settings for taking cloud cover had been reversed (probably not a big issue on the whole). Also when software quits it remains in landscape mode.... No biggie but can be annoying. All in all I use it and it works well. Good luck with the data you get. 👍

What's new

The GLOBE Observer app now includes the Clouds, Mosquito Habitat Mapper, Land Cover and Trees tools in eleven different languages. This latest release also includes various bug fixes and enhancements, improved compass performance, and support for off-line data collection.