Sky Watch is an independent Life Skills challenge where students become cloud observers for NASA's GLOBE program. Satellites see clouds from the top, and your child sees them from the bottom. Every day for three weeks, they take one sky photo and describe what they see for NASA, with nobody reminding them.
What Your Child Does
Set up your watch. They pick one safe spot with a view of the sky, type in the city they live in (so Sky Watch knows when it gets dark), and pick one time just after their academics. Then they take a first photo to line up with.
Watch every day. About three minutes. They take one sky photo from the same spot, then describe the conditions for NASA: how much of the sky is cloud, the sky's color, how clear the air is, what's on the ground, whether the trees have leaves, and whether it's raining or snowing.
Send your week. After watches 7 and 14, they check every day's entry and send it. Alpha Anywhere passes it on to NASA's GLOBE program.
Reach 21. 21 watches within 4 weeks, then a final send and a big celebration.
Missing a day is expected. Coming back the next day is the skill.
The One Rule
Same spot, same time, and they remember. Nobody reminds them, including us. That's the point. Scientists need people who show up, and showing up when nobody is checking is the skill.
The Skills It Builds
Sky Watch is an Independence challenge. Students practice starting a big job on their own, keeping it going for weeks, and coming back after a miss without anyone stepping in. Along the way, they learn to read the sky and report what they see honestly, the way scientists do.
🌟 The skill they show: "I can take on a big job nobody is making me do, start it myself, and keep it going to the end with nobody reminding me."
What You Need
A computer with a camera that can see the sky from your child's spot. Unlike academics, Sky Watch works with a tablet.
A spot with a sky they can reach safely on their own every day: a window, balcony, garden, or another safe spot outside.
The same time every day, weekends too, just after their academics.
About 3 minutes a day for 3 to 4 weeks, plus about 12 minutes to set up.
How You Can Help
Check where they live. During setup, your child types in your city and asks you to confirm it. Sky Watch uses it to work out daylight. It isn't published to NASA.
Give your OK and drop one pin. The pin goes on a corner or park near you, never your home. It takes a minute.
Check the spot is safe. Feet on the floor: no roofs, no roads, no climbing.
Please don't remind them. Remembering is the challenge.
Ask to see their sky photos. Watching the journal fill up is the best encouragement.
What Gets Sent to NASA
What we send: the date and time of each watch, the sky photo, your child's description of the sky and the ground, and the spot you pin near home (a corner or park, rounded to about 100 m). The Sky Watch platform converts the description into the data code NASA requires for the observations.
What we never send: your child's name, email, or any photo of your child. Sky photos must show only the sky, and our team checks every one. The city your child types in setup is only used for daylight and isn't published to NASA.
What's public in NASA's GLOBE data: the pin, the name of your child's spot, the sky photos, and Alpha Anywhere's GLOBE organization.
Who sends it: Alpha Anywhere, from our own GLOBE account. You don't need a NASA app or account.
Rewards
Your child earns Stardust and Independence points, and finishing moves them up to the next Independence challenge. Stardust is never tied to a streak, so a missed day never costs anything.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does my child describe each day?
The same things a GLOBE cloud observer reports: how much of the sky is cloud, the sky's color, how clear the air is, what's on the ground, whether the trees have leaves, and whether it's raining or snowing. Every question has picture answers and a tip, so they don't need to know about clouds to start. Sky Watch checks the answers against the photo and asks them to look again if something doesn't match.
What if they miss a day?
That's expected. They have 4 weeks to reach 21, so there are spare days. If time runs out, they start a new 4 weeks and keep everything they've done.
Will Sky Watch remind them?
No. Remembering is the challenge. They can set their own alarm if they want.
Who sees my child's photos?
The Alpha Anywhere team checks every photo. Sky photos go to NASA's GLOBE program with your child's observations, so they must show only the sky. A photo of your child is never sent.
What if we're away for a few days?
Your child can do up to 3 away watches wherever they are. They count toward 21 but aren't sent to NASA.
What if they get stuck?
Each screen tells them what to fix, and Alphie can help. Alphie nudges with a question. He never answers NASA's questions for them.
Need help? Talk to Alphie, our smart AI assistant, in the Parent Portal. If he can't sort it out, he'll connect you with our team.