Article
Solar eclipse and Eclipse Soundscapes app
“Great North American Eclipse”
On April 8, 2024, the path of totality, where the moon passes between the sun and Earth, will start in Mexico and move across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine before heading out over the North Atlantic. Most places along the path of totality will experience the eclipse for a period of 3.5 to 4 minutes. The sky will become dark (like dawn or dusk) and the temperature will drop about 10 degrees.
Not in the path of totality? NASA estimates that 99% of people living in the U.S. will be able to see a partial or total eclipse on April 8th.
NASA has an interactive map that traces the path of the eclipse and shows you the time it will be visible across the U.S. You can put in your ZIP code or city and track it here.
The next total solar eclipse visible in the U.S. will e on August 23, 2044.
Eye protection
Even for a short time, looking at the sun without proper eye protection can permanently damage your retina. Specialized eclipse glasses and hand-held solar viewers are available. These can be 1,000 times darker than ordinary sunglasses. Regular sun glasses are not strong enough for eclipse viewing.
Eclipse Soundscapes app
How can someone who is blind or visually impaired experience the solar eclipse?
The Eclipse Soundscapes app is a multi-sensory experience for people of all learning styles to engage with astronomical events, including total solar eclipses. Inside this app, you will find countdowns to major astronomical events in your area, and real time narrations of those events with illustrative audio descriptions provided by the GBH National Center for Accessible Media. You can also explore the cosmos with high quality photos, educational information, and accessible learning tools.
Eclipse Soundscapes app resources
- Eclipse Soundscapes in the App Store
- Eclipse soundscapes in Google Play Store
- The Eclipse Soundscapes: Mobile application makes eclipses accessible (detailed information about the app)
Resource from the 2017 Eclipse
- Eclipse Soundscapes and low vision (by Veroniiiica)
By Diane Brauner
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