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During a total solar eclipse,

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it is almost like day
becomes night very quickly.

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So, knowing that there's
going to be a change in

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that light and life-giving energy,
means that we can predict

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when animals are going to have
a rapid shift in their behavior.

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Which results in changes in the acoustic
environment or the soundscape.

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So, the Eclipse Soundscapes
project is a project

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to determine how eclipses
affect life here on Earth.

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And there's a lot more to observation
than just what you see.

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It's also important
to think about what you hear.

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We're measuring how the rapid
onset of darkness during an eclipse

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affects wildlife by measuring the changes
in sounds that they make.

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The general public is best suited

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for this type of project
because the general public is everywhere.

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And that's really the power
of the participatory science component

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of this project.

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It enables recordings
and observations of soundscapes

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across the diversity of ecosystems
covered by the path of totality.

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We might think of some ecosystems
having a greater influence

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of human activities on the soundscape,
whereas in other ecosystems, say,

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a remote part of a national park,
we might have a lower influence

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of human activities and greater influence
from the sounds of life and Earth.

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Audio description: Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas will conduct a similar study for the upcoming total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024.

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The only way to properly preserve
a species is to understand it.

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The only way to understand
it is through scientific study

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on their behavior, their patterns,
and their habitat requirements.

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One of the things we'll be doing
during the total

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solar eclipse is setting up
these recording stations.

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So, these are our acoustic
monitoring stations,

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and what we're doing is listening
for calls of the different bat species

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with the hopes of maybe picking up
some of those endangered species

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like the northern long-eared bat.

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Audio description: A long-eared bat is shown.

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We're hoping the results of this study
will inform us

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about the health of our bat
populations of Hot Springs National Park

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and help improve future 
conservation efforts.

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The Eclipse Soundscapes
project is an inclusive

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and accessible project that is inviting
the general public to get involved

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in NASA science alongside scientists
and subject matter experts.

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Wherever you take your observations,
you might be giving us information

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that has never been recorded before,
and that is really useful and interesting

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to a scientist.

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Audio description: A logo shows planets in the path of the Sun’s rays. Title: Heliophysics Big Year.

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Audio description: In another logo, a white curve orbits the title “NASA.”

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Audio description: Accessibility provided by the U.S. Department of Education.