When we think of a solar eclipse we usually imagine a deeply visual experience. The Sun gradually darkening. The appearance of the solar corona. The sky acquiring impossible colors for a few minutes that seem suspended outside of time. But there is a question we rarely ask ourselves: How does a blind person experience an eclipse?
The answer is more fascinating than it seems. Because An eclipse can not only be seen. It can also be heard, felt and even shared in ways that challenge our traditional idea of astronomical observation. And that is precisely what the project pursues. Inclusive Eclipse: An eclipse, many ways to experience itpromoted by the Institute of Space Sciences (ICE-CSIC) with financing from the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT), on the occasion of the total eclipse of Sun that It will cross Spain on August 12, 2026.
Let’s go from the beginning. Eclipses have fascinated humanity for thousands of years. They are relatively rare phenomena because they require an almost perfect alignment between the Sun, Moon and Earth. For a few minutes, our satellite blocks sunlight and transforms the landscape in a way that is difficult to describe. Temperatures may drop several degrees, birds will stop singing and some animals will return to their night shelters. However, A good part of the dissemination activities related to astronomy have traditionally been aimed at people without visual difficulties. Telescopes, photographs and public observations are extraordinary tools, but not always accessible to all audiences.
The 2026 eclipse offers an opportunity to change that situation: listen to the eclipse. One of the most striking elements of the project is a device called LightSound. At first glance it seems like a simple device, but its operation is almost poetic. The device uses a sensor that continuously measures the intensity of light and that information is instantly transformed into sounds. When the light is intense, the tone is higher and more frequent, when it decreases, the sound changes.
As the Moon moves in front of the Sun during the eclipse, the ambient light is progressively reduced and the soundscape generated by the device is also transformed. Thanks to this, for the first time, a person will be able to “hear” how the Sun disappears. The idea behind LightSound is based on a concept known as sonification. Scientists have been transforming complex data into sounds for years to analyze them in alternative ways. The vibrations of stars, gravitational waves produced by collisions of black holes and even radio emissions from planets and galaxies have been turned into music.
In this case, what becomes sound is the variation of sunlight itself. The result is neither an artificial recording nor a narration. It is a direct translation of what is happening in heaven. Thanks to this, whoever uses the device can perceive in real time how the eclipse evolves.
Paradoxically, even those who see perfectly can discover new aspects of the eclipse using these tools. The decrease in light usually occurs so gradually that our brain barely perceives it until advanced stages of the phenomenon. An audio device allows these changes to be followed with much more precision. Furthermore, a total eclipse is not only observed with the eyes.
During totality, the environment changes, the temperature drops, the sound of nature changes… And all of these experiences can be shared regardless of the visual capacity of each observer. “These devices have already demonstrated their effectiveness in previous solar eclipses in the United States (2017, 2024), Chile and Argentina (2019-2020) – LightSound points out -. Thanks to them, numerous people with visual disabilities were able to perceive and enjoy this astronomical phenomenon.transforming traditional observation into a multisensory experience.”