We talk a lot about how to view a solar eclipse properly, but this time, NASA is asking the public to use their ears, too. In preparation for the upcoming total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, NASA’s Eclipse Soundscapes Project urges everyday Americans—or, in this case, citizen scientists—to pay attention to the sounds they hear or notice missing. These noises will help zoologists, ecologists, conservationists, and other researchers understand how wildlife respond to eclipses.
In a release published Monday, NASA explained that solar eclipses often “trick” wildlife into believing dusk has fallen. During annular and total solar eclipses, in which the Moon temporarily obscures most or all of the Sun, the sky becomes quite dark. Temperatures drop several degrees, and depending on the region’s air and weather conditions, some stars even become visible. This might be enough for some animals to trigger altered daytime behaviors: Chickens head back to the coop, bees return to the hive, and rabbits dive into their nests. In such cases, citizen scientists might observe a sudden stillness uncharacteristic for that particular time of day.
But not all creatures will be so quiet. Cicadas have been heard rattling their tymbals more rapidly during total solar eclipses, producing a louder buzzing effect. Frogs and toads have been known to erupt in cacophonies of dusk song, as have crickets. Even species that take eclipses’ sudden darkness as a sign to tuck into bed might emerge once the Sun is exposed again, chirping with all the voracity typical of a brand-new day.
“There’s a lot more to observation than just what you see,” MaryKay Severino, education director and co-lead of the Eclipse Soundscapes Project, said in a video before the Oct. 14, 2023 annular eclipse. “It’s also important to think about what you hear.”
Of course, citizen scientists’ observations are only useful to NASA if they’re shared with the organization. Those in or near the path of totality on April 8 are encouraged to sign up on the Eclipse Soundscapes Project’s website. After attending a brief training webinar, observers will be ready to record their observations during the eclipse, after which they can submit what they heard via NASA’s webform.
In some parts of the country, researchers will set up acoustic monitoring stations that record the sounds generated by creatures such as birds, bats, and bugs. These sounds will not only offer insights into the critters’ behavior during the eclipse. Still, they will enable researchers to keep an eye—or ear—out for endangered species that have been a little more elusive based on sight alone. Still, acoustic monitoring stations can’t go everywhere humans can.
“The general public is best suited for this type of project because the general public is everywhere,” Severino said.
