When darkness sweeps across the landscape during a total solar eclipse, unusual things start happening. Fooled by the false dusk, birds stop singing, crickets start chirping, and bees return to their hives.
Reports of these atypical animal behaviors date back centuries, but the
effects of an eclipse on plant and animal life are not fully understood. So, on
April 8, 2024, the NASA-funded Eclipse Soundscapes Project will collect the
sights and sounds of a total solar eclipse with help from interested members of
the public to better understand how an eclipse affects different ecosystems.
“Eclipses are often thought of as a visual event – something that you
see,” said Kelsey Perrett, Communications Coordinator with the Eclipse
Soundscapes Project. “We want to show that eclipses can be studied in a
multi-sensory manner, through sound and feeling and other forms of
observation.”
A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes directly in front of the Sun, blocking its light from reaching parts of the planet. In areas where the Sun’s light is completely blocked – known as the path of totality – it looks as if dusk has fallen, temperatures drop, and some stars become visible. These changes can trick animals into altering their usual daytime behaviors. A total solar eclipse will pass over the heads of over 30 million people in North America on April 8, 2024, providing the perfect opportunity for a large-scale citizen science project.
In April 2024, volunteers can join the Eclipse
Soundscapes project to help NASA scientists better understand how wildlife is
impacted by solar eclipses. Volunteers will gather sound recordings, make
observations using any of their senses, and even help with data analysis from
across the path of the eclipse. This video features interviews from Eclipse
Soundscapes experts MaryKay Severino, Dr. William “Trae” Winter III, and Dr.
William Oestreich, and highlights natural resource manager Dr. Chace Holzhueser
at Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas, who will be conducting a similar
study for the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024.
Credits: Lacey Young/NASA
The Eclipse Soundscapes Project
aims to replicate a similar study conducted by American scientist William M.
Wheeler following a 1932 total solar eclipse that passed over the northeast
reaches of Canada and the United States. The near-century-old study captured
almost 500 observations from the public.
The Eclipse Soundscapes Project
hopes modern tools will replicate and expand upon that study to better
understand animal and insect behavior. This will be achieved through
multisensory observations, such as audio recordings and written accounts of
what is seen, heard, or felt during the eclipse. The project, which is
particularly interested in learning about cricket behavior, aims to answer
questions like do nocturnal and diurnal animals act differently or become more
or less vocal during a solar eclipse?
“The more audio data and observations we have, the better we can answer these questions,” Perrett said. “Contributions from participatory scientists will allow us to drill down into specific ecosystems and determine how the eclipse may have impacted each of them.”
An Eastern Lubber Grasshopper on a leaf. Federico Acevedo/National Park Service
The Eclipse Soundscape project
invites people to become involved with the study at all levels – from learning
about eclipses online, to collecting multisensory observations and audio data,
to analyzing the data – and in all locations, whether they’re on the path of
totality or not. The project is open to people of all backgrounds and
abilities. All project roles have been designed with accessibility in mind to
invite people who are blind or have low vision to participate alongside their
sighted peers.
People on or near the path of totality can participate as “Data Collectors” by using an AudioMoth device, a low-cost audio recording device called equipped with a micro-SD card, to capture the sounds of an eclipse. People can also participate as “Observers” by writing down their multisensory observations and submitting them to the project website after the eclipse. Anyone with an internet connection, can participate as an “Apprentice” by learning about eclipses or as a “Data Analyst” to help analyze the audio data after the eclipse. After completing an Eclipse Soundscapes role, a downloadable certificate will be available.
An AudioMoth device hangs from a tree branch, ready to capture the sounds of an eclipse. Eclipse Soundscapes Project
“When it comes down to it,
answering our science questions about how eclipses impact life on Earth depends
entirely on the data that people volunteer to contribute,” Perrett said. “Our
participants, including our project partners and facilitators, allow us to span
the entire eclipse path and collect way more data than would be possible for
just one small team.”
To learn more about the project and
how to become involved, visit: https://eclipsesoundscapes.org/
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
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