The Eclipse Soundscapes Project
The Eclipse Soundscapes Zenodo Community preserves materials from two separate NASA-funded efforts that shared the Eclipse Soundscapes name:
- The Eclipse Soundscapes Mobile Application (2017-2011), developed before the citizen science project to provide multisensory and bilingual ways to experience and learn about solar eclipses.
- The Eclipse Soundscapes: Citizen Science Project (2021–2026), which engaged volunteer scientists in collecting environmental audio and multisensory observations during the 2023 and 2024 solar eclipses.
Most records in this community relate to the Eclipse Soundscapes: Citizen Science Project. A separate record preserves materials associated with the earlier mobile application.
Eclipse Soundscapes: Citizen Science Project
The Eclipse Soundscapes Project (2021-2026) was a NASA Science project funded by NASA Science Activation that investigated how solar eclipses affect life on Earth during the October 14, 2023 annular solar eclipse and the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse. Building on observations collected during and following the August 31, 1932 total solar eclipse, which documented changes in animal behavior during eclipse conditions, Eclipse Soundscapes engaged volunteer scientists across the United States to use modern acoustic recording technology and multisensory observations to investigate how rapid eclipse-related environmental changes affect surrounding ecosystems.
This material is based upon work supported by NASA under Award No. 80NSSC21M0008. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in these records are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of NASA.
Audio Data Collection During Eclipse Week
Volunteer scientists participating in the Eclipse Soundscapes Data Collector role used AudioMoth acoustic recording devices to collect environmental soundscape recordings over a five-day period surrounding each eclipse: two days before the eclipse, eclipse day, and two days afterward. Participants also documented site locations and eclipse conditions to support scientific interpretation and long-term data stewardship.
This community includes the collected raw audio data, recording-site metadata, latitude and longitude coordinates, and eclipse-related timing data associated with each site.
A total of 575 recording sites were preserved and assigned DOI-associated data packages. A subset of 353 sites met the criteria used for Eclipse Soundscapes scientific analysis workflows.
Multisensory Observations During Eclipse Day
Volunteer scientists participating in the Eclipse Soundscapes Observer role documented qualitative observations before, during, and after eclipse maximum using structured observation protocols. Participants recorded changes they noticed in environmental sound, animal behavior, weather conditions, human activity, and other sensory experiences.
These observations complemented the environmental audio datasets collected by Data Collectors and provided additional context for understanding how solar eclipses affect surrounding environments.
This community includes observation datasets, survey instruments, and related documentation associated with these multisensory observations.
Community Contents
This community preserves the scientific, educational, operational, and technical products created by Eclipse Soundscapes. Records include:
- Site-level environmental audio datasets and associated metadata.
- Structured multisensory observation datasets and supporting documentation.
- Documentation describing data validation, processing, and publication workflows.
- Volunteer scientist training and implementation materials.
- Survey instruments, data dictionaries, and supporting documentation.
- Publications, presentations, and outreach products.
- Open-source software and technical infrastructure.
- Educational and accessibility resources.
Together, these records document how Eclipse Soundscapes was designed, implemented, analyzed, and shared, while preserving project outputs for future researchers, educators, volunteer scientists, and participatory science practitioners.
AudioMoth Recording Devices
Eclipse Soundscapes used AudioMoth acoustic recording devices developed by Open Acoustic Devices. AudioMoth is a low-cost, full-spectrum recorder capable of capturing audible and ultrasonic frequencies and storing uncompressed WAV files on microSD cards. Additional technical information about AudioMoth devices is available through Open Acoustic Devices and within the records contained in this community.
Project Leadership
Co-lead, Education Principal Investigator and Project Manager
MaryKay Severino
ARISA Lab LLC
Co-lead and Science Principal Investigator
Dr. Henry "Trae" Winter III
ARISA Lab LLC
External Evaluation
Dr. Dave Bauer
Neuron Consulting
ES Team Members
- Kelsey Perrett
- Joel Goncalves
Core Collaborators
- Dr. Reginé Gilbert
- Lindsay Yazzolino
- Dr. Brent Pease
- Dr. Lindsay Fuller
- Dr. Valerie Johnson
- Tracey Kline
- Dr. Neil Gilbert
- Dr. Kelly Lynn Mulvey
- Dr. Adam Hartstone-Rose
- ES Science Advisory Board
Participating Organizations
- ARISA Lab LLC
- National Federation of the Blind
- New York University
- PEASE Lab
- North Carolina State University
- SciStarter
- Additional partner organizations, educators, libraries, national and state parks, accessibility consultants, and volunteer scientists
Project Lifecycle
Period |
Activity |
|
2021 |
Project planning and partnership development. Design of the Apprentice, Observer, and Data Collector participation framework. Initial decisions regarding recording equipment, data collection protocols, metadata requirements, and project infrastructure. |
|
2021–2024 |
Continuous usability, accessibility, and participant experience reviews through collaborations with New York University UX/UI courses, Blind and Low Vision community members, National Federation of the Blind discussions and focus groups, educators, and project partners. |
|
2021–2022 |
Evaluation and testing of recording equipment, field protocols, metadata workflows, and participation systems. |
|
2022-2023 |
Development of training materials, websites, participation systems, observation protocols, AudioMoth workflows, accessibility supports, and educational resources. Development of the Eclipse Soundscapes ID (ES ID) system to support device tracking, metadata management, and long-term data stewardship. |
|
2023 |
Focus groups, accessibility reviews, and pilot implementation activities informed refinements to project materials and workflows. Preparation and distribution of AudioMoth kits and implementation of the annular eclipse campaign, including live training events, multisensory observations, and environmental audio data collection. |
|
2023-2024 |
Evaluation findings, participant feedback, and implementation observations informed iterative improvements to training materials, communication systems, accessibility supports, and operational workflows before the total solar eclipse campaign. Receipt, sorting, metadata collection, and organization of returned datasets began following the 2023 annular eclipse and informed refinements to subsequent data management procedures. |
|
2024 |
Preparation and distribution of AudioMoth kits for the total solar eclipse campaign. Expanded partnerships, training events, multisensory observations, and environmental audio data collection. Receipt, sorting, metadata collection, and organization of returned datasets continued following the total solar eclipse. |
|
2024-2025 |
Metadata validation, audio processing, quality assurance, and preparation of datasets for long-term preservation and scientific analysis. |
|
2025-2026 |
Scientific analysis, public data publication, DOI assignment, technical documentation, dissemination of results, and release of open-source tools through GitHub |
|
2026 |
Completion of long-term public archiving through the Eclipse Soundscapes Zenodo community and release of project software and technical resources through GitHub. |
Eclipse Soundscapes Mobile Application
The Eclipse Soundscapes Mobile Application was a separate NASA-funded accessibility and education project that provided multisensory ways to experience and learn about solar eclipses.
During the 2017 total solar eclipse, the app combined each user’s location with NASA eclipse-timing data to play synchronized audio descriptions of what was happening at that location in real time. At other times, users could explore eclipse information through English- and Spanish-language text, imagery, and audio. An interactive rumble map translated eclipse imagery into haptic feedback that users could experience through touch.
The original application, ES 1.0, was funded under NASA Award No. NNX16AL62A. The updated bilingual version, ES 2.0, was funded under NASA Award No. 80NSSC21K1172. This work concluded before and was independent from the Eclipse Soundscapes: Citizen Science Project.
One record in this community preserves materials associated with the mobile application. The application is no longer funded or maintained and may no longer be available through mobile app stores. The EclipseSoundscapesMobileApp2017 GitHub repository provides a public archive of the app’s source code for reuse, learning, or adaptation.
Permanent Archive
This Zenodo community serves as the long-term public archive for Eclipse Soundscapes. Most records preserve datasets, documentation, software, educational resources, and other products from the Eclipse Soundscapes: Citizen Science Project. The community also contains some records preserving materials from the earlier Eclipse Soundscapes Mobile Application.
Together, these records allow future researchers, educators, developers, volunteer scientists, and participatory science practitioners to understand, reuse, and build upon the work.
Awards
- Eclipse Soundscapes Project
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- Eclipse Soundscapes 2.0
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration