Accessible Solar Eclipse Sonification 2024
people: Auralee (Aura) Walmer | Brandon Biggs | Nicolette Cash | Wendy Yin | TeAiris Majors | Dr. Bruce Walker
The Georgia Tech Sonification Lab has developed accessible maps, a VR demo, and soundtrack + sonification for the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse.
On April 8th, 2024, a total solar eclipse will be visible for a large portion of North America, moving in a northeast trajectory across Mexico, the United States, and Canada. The path of totality, meaning place where people will be able to experience the effect of the moon completely blocking the sun, will include U.S. cities like San Antonio, Dallas, Indianapolis, Cleveland, and Buffalo. During the period of totality, the anticipated effect is a darkening of the sky comparable to dawn or dusk.
However, not everyone has the opportunity to enjoy the magnificent total solar eclipse due to either geographical constraints or visual and auditory limitations. Thus, we have launched a project to make it more accessible for people to experience the solar eclipse and to learn more about how the environment and animals react during the process. Our project has several classes of components:
- accessible audio+visual maps of two different types (“push” maps and “pull” maps);
- a virtual reality (VR) simulation with educational and immersive features; and
- a soundscape to play along with the real-time total solar eclipse.
Accessible Audio+Visual Maps: “Push” Style Map
We have created a web-based presentation of the total solar eclipse’s path of totality, including a visual projection of the United States; plus paths and points associated with the data; a narrative audio guide to understand the path; and a sonification of the actual path of totality. By ensuring that the entire playback remains compact and brisk, we keep the interest of our listeners. The short format also makes this multimodal map a convenient option for use in an educational setting. This digital material can also be referenced before or even well after the event has passed, because it will remain relevant as a way to present a total solar eclipse.
Accessible Audio+Visual Maps: “Pull” Style Audiom Map
The Audiom system has been developed by XRNavigation to support visual and audio presentation of geospatial data in an accessible user-driven (“pull”) format. We created an Audiom map of the 2024 solar eclipse using the same path data from NASA. The map starts the user in Texas, where the path of totality “enters” the USA; from there, keyboard commands allow for step-by-step exploration of Texas and the rest of the USA.
Sonification and Soundtrack for the Solar Eclipse
We created a dramatic soundtrack that communicates the majesty of the solar eclipse event, along with embedded audio elements that represent the acoustic and other natural phenomena that accompany the eclipse. For example, as darkness falls, many animals become quiet at the “false dusk”, and then resume their activities and sounds when the light returns, as if it is a new dawn.
Lead Designer: Nicolette Cash
Virtual Reality (VR) Experience / Simulation of the Eclipse (includes Soundtrack)
We have a multimodal virtual reality (VR) simulation of the eclipse, as viewed from a specific urban location. The simulation includes changing light levels, animal behaviors, and auditory changes in nature. It also includes the powerful soundtrack that conveys the excitement and wonder of the eclipse.
The immersive 3D VR experience for use with the Meta Quest family of VR headsets is an APK file that can be downloaded and installed on your device.