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The LightSound was designed and developed at Harvard University as a tool for the Blind and Low Vision (BLV) community to experience the 2017 Great American Solar Eclipse with sound. The device uses a technique called sonification which is the process of converting light to sound. As the Moon eclipses the Sun during a Solar Eclipse the sunlight begins to dim and the LightSound device output will change in musical tone. The device can be attached to headphones or to a speaker to project the sound for a group. The device is powered by either by a 9V battery, rechargeable Li-ion battery, or by connecting it to a laptop via USB. Data can be collected and saved for later analysis or sonification when the device is connected to a computer.
The device was redesigned for the 2019/2020 South American Solar Eclipses to have a more sensitive light sensor and improved sound quality. Through an IAU 100 special project grant, we built and distributed 20 devices across Chile and Argentina. Chilean colleagues, through an ESO grant, distributed an additional 100+ devices.
Workshops to train users to build and use the LightSound devices were developed and run as part of AAS EPD, IAU OAD, and NSF grants. We are building several hundred devices to be distributed at no-cost for the upcoming 2023 Annular Solar Eclipse and the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse in North America. Please contact Allyson Bieryla (abieryla@cfa.harvard.edu) with questions or to collaborate.
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LightSound - Solar Eclipse Sonification toolThe LightSound is a device developed for the BLV community as a tool to experience the solar eclipse with sound. The device uses arduino technology and has a high dynamic range sensor. It uses midi capabilities to map the data to instruments and produce sound. The device detects light through the light sensor and outputs sound based on the brightness. As the Sun is eclipsed by the Moon the observer will experience the dimming of light as the sound decreases. Instructions for building your own device are listed below along with the software code to upload to the device. The LightSound device code and instructions to build are below. These are open source but they should not be used to build LightSounds for profit. Operation Instructions - (wired 9V battery version | PCB rechargeable battery version) Recording and Plotting Data - (Instructions | Observing Checklist ) GitHub for device code and plotting code Request a FREE pre-build LightSound device Join the Discord community server to connect with other LightSound users |
LightSound demo clip |
Example demo sound clip. The orange case was 3D printed for the 2019/2020 South American eclipses in Chile. The black circle slowly covers the light sensor as a representation of the dimming of the sunlight during the eclipse. Video credit: Paulina Troncoso Iribarren |
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Argentina Locations
Chile Locations
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Credit: Sóley Hyman |
Sound MapUsing data from the LightSound, recorded from locations across South America, a Sound Map traces the path of the eclipse. |
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Credit: Charlie Doyle |
Video and Sound from Argentina |
Image Credit: MIM |
Santiago, ChileMIM - Museo Interacivo Mirador "In Santiago we were fully sunny. In the museum we received more than 5000 people, a lot of them from different organization related with inclusion. The Lightsound device was used during the whole eclipse, every 20% of light change, amplified to all the park. Sergio Vásquez - Director of Education |
Image Credit: Stopwatch Productions |
Antofagasta, ChileAstro BVI/U "Although Antofagasta was cloudy, we did an event with the Municipality to which you (to our surprise) arrived over 4 thousand people..... there were people constantly making consultras on Lightsound on AstroBVI devices and materials." Eduardo Unda-Sanzana - Assoc. Prof. University of Antofagasta |
Image Credit: La Portada |
La Serena, ChileLa Portada "Today July 2 was a very exciting day, beautiful and unforgettable, enjoying a wonderful event such as a solar eclipse in the stadium "La Portada" (...) and best of all, there was a machine that transformed the light solar in sound when it was getting dark and the moon covered the sun. And when the sun was completely covered by the moon, the machine began to sound lower until there was a small moment of silence. (...) this made the eclipse more inclusive and blind people could enjoy this wonderful event just like everyone else." Katherine Marchant |
Image Credit: Erika Labbe |
Santiago, ChileAstroUDP/AstroTactil "We had about 350 people in our event (for space limitations), and I think 50 of them were BVI.." Erika Labbe - Astronomy Dissemination Coordinator, Diego Portales Univ. "A great event, wonderful experience, all very well distributed and being able to share something as magnificent as an eclipse with people of little or no vision thanks to the lightsound" "Excellent initiative to bring people with visual disabilities to science, even more so to such a visual science" Anonymous visitors |
Image Credit: Amelia Bayo |
Calle Larga, Chile |
Image Credit: CTIO |
Gemini/CTIO, Chile |
Image Credit: Beatriz Garcia |
Rodeo, San Juan, ArgentinaITeDA (CNEA, CONICET, UNSAM) |
Image Credit: Club de Astronomia de Villa Mercedes |
Merlo, San Luis, ArgentinaInternational Airport in Merlo |
Image Credit: Beatriz Garcia |
Godoy Cruz, Mendoza, ArgentinaHellen Keller School |
Image Credit: Ana Belén de Alias |
Santa Lucía, San Juan, ArgentinaEscuela Mucicipal "The activity went really well, beautiful experience. All impressed by such beauty. We had a great expectation. At the San Luicia school they received guests from the Braile school. The students enjoyed it immensely. They used also the glasses, we also invited some parents to stay. At the time of the totality that lasted 30 seconds, all of the boys were amazed. Total euphoria Ana Belén de Alias - Teacher |
Image Credit: Marcelo Colazo, Paula Benaglia |
Río IV, Córdoba, ArgentinaVicenta Castro Cambón Special School "The activity was held at the Vicenta Castro Cambón Special School in the city of Río Cuarto where students, alumni and family members of various educational centers in the city had been invited. After a brief introduction to the topic where the relief and Braile book generated by NASA were also presented, the partial phase of the eclipse began to be observed using dark boxes that had been built by the students and the special glasses provided for this occasion. Already near the moment of totality of the eclipse the LightSound was turned on with which everyone present could hear the most emotional moment of the eclipse." Marcelo Colazo, Paula Benaglia |
