ExoClock Unlocked opens exoplanet observing to volunteers with no equipment

ExoClock Unlocked welcomes volunteers from around the world to observe exoplanets on remote telescopes with no equipment and no experience, supporting ESA’s Ariel mission, and applications for ExoClock Unlocked 2027 close on 15/12/2026.

ExoClock Unlocked is a citizen science program that lets people who are not academics take part in exoplanet research within a professional scientific framework. Citizen science here means research participation by people who are not professional academics. It is linked directly to ESA’s Ariel space mission, helping to monitor and refine exoplanet ephemerides, and it offers a supportive, inclusive setting for participants from diverse backgrounds.

The program’s scientific role is to help monitor and refine exoplanet ephemerides — the predicted times when planets pass in front of their stars — in support of Ariel, an upcoming ESA mission that will study the atmospheres of exoplanets. Remote observations made by participants feed into the broader ExoClock effort tied to the Ariel mission.

The program is documented in a 2026 study by Anastasia Kokori, Angelos Tsiaras, and Georgia Pantelidou, published in RAS Techniques and Instruments, article rzag072, and the paper is open access. Its authors present ExoClock Unlocked as a response to reduced public engagement caused by the rise of robotic telescopes and automated pipelines in modern astronomy.

Participants work through planning observations, acquiring data from remote telescopes, analyzing data, and presenting scientific results — every stage of modern astronomical research. The activities take place in an inclusive environment for people of diverse backgrounds.

Observing happens with remote observing telescopes as participants watch exoplanet transits, events in which a planet passes in front of its star and dims its light. Those remote observations feed into the broader ExoClock effort tied to the Ariel mission.

Through online monthly training sessions, participants learn to perform remote observations, analyze data, and contribute to a real space mission. Instruction comes from experts in exoplanet science and from scientists with the Ariel mission. The training runs alongside step-by-step guidance, and user-friendly tools and educational material let people learn at their own pace.

No prior experience is required at all, and no telescope is required: joining requires only motivation to learn about exoplanets. The program sets no requirements beyond motivation and is designed for astronomy enthusiasts with no previous experience or equipment.

ExoClock Unlocked 2027 welcomes people worldwide who lack observational equipment — amateur astronomers, students, and citizen scientists regardless of background or experience. The ExoClock team wants people who do not own telescopes to observe exoplanet transits, and the initiative is offered through the project website as an opportunity for people who do not own observational equipment.

It accepts as many as 30 participants, with priority going to people without equipment. Applications close Dec. 15, 2026; after the deadline, the team reviews every application and contacts successful applicants about next steps.

Applying is free, and no payment is due at application; payment comes only after selection, as part of the participation fee. Selected participants pay a 300 EUR fee covering trainings, tools, and personalized assistance, while ExoClock and its partners supply observing time without charge; the fee does not include observing time. Two waivers are reserved for people from under-represented countries, and applicants may request a waiver in their motivation statement; each person may submit only one application.

Las Cumbres Observatory supports the program through LCO Global Sky Partners, providing observing time as an in-kind contribution to the program. The same partner program supplied earlier observations too: work from 2022 came from ORBYTS: Refining Exoplanet Ephemerides, a Global Sky Partners project led by B. Edwards, and these examples illustrate previous work acquired through the same partner program supporting ExoClock Unlocked.

For four years, ExoClock Unlocked offered structured training and support from experts to about 100 participants. Their work yielded 30 validated transit light curves covering 25 exoplanets in the Ariel Mission Candidate Sample; a transit light curve tracks a star’s dimming as a planet passes in front of it. The output resulted from the structured training and expert support given during the program’s four years of operation.

The program’s record demonstrates that citizen science can produce scientific results and strengthen ties between space science and society. That conclusion comes from the program’s history of training participants and validating transit observations for the Ariel mission.

Anyone who completes a successful observation receives a certificate acknowledging their contribution and becomes a co-author on ExoClock publications. The reward comes after remote observation and data analysis done with team guidance. Anastasia Kokori is the project lead, and interested people can contact her for further information about the program.