American scientist William Wheeler didn’t just look at the sky during a total solar eclipse. He also made sure to pay attention to everything around him. August 31, 1932, Wheeler and collaborators based across the northeastern United States and Canada participated in one of the first participatory studies related to solar eclipses to document the effects of celestial events on wildlife. did. That day, volunteers made nearly 500 recordings of the reactions of animals and insects. Nearly a century later, NASA wants to honor and exponentially expand on these contributions.
On April 8, government agencies will be recruiting volunteer citizen scientists to help navigate the upcoming total solar eclipse. Eclipse Soundscape Project. By combining video, audio, and written records, NASA aims to help researchers better understand the effects of this phenomenon on different ecosystems across the country.
When the moon passes in front of the sun, the surrounding light will dim, the temperature will drop, and even some stars will begin to appear. Such sudden changes in the environment are known to trick animals into behaving in the same way they do at dusk or dawn. According to NASA, the agency is particularly interested in better understanding cricket behavior and observing the differences in responses between nocturnal and diurnal animals.
“The more audio data and observations we have, the better we can answer these questions,” said Kelsey Perrett, communications coordinator for the Eclipse Soundscapes Project. said in the announcement Early this month. “Contributions from participatory scientists will allow us to drill down into specific ecosystems and determine how the eclipse affected each ecosystem.”
[Related: Delta’s solar eclipse flight sold out, but your best bet to see it is still down here.]
There are multiple ways the approximately 30 million people in the path of the April 8 solar eclipse can participate. People on or near the total path can act as specified.data collector” Purchase a relatively inexpensive audio recorder called AudioMoth along with a micro SD card to capture the sounds around you. meanwhile, “observer” can write down what they see and hear and submit it through the project website.apprentice” and “Data Analysts” can take an easy, free online course to help them evaluate incoming data.Plenty of options available for everyone Sensory accessibility issuesNASA has made sure to include the following resources: Facilitate Support large groups of volunteers through local schools, libraries, parks, and community centers.
