This instructional video explains the geographic path and visibility conditions of the October 14, 2023 annular solar eclipse within the context of the Eclipse Soundscapes (ES) project. The video was developed specifically to communicate eclipse path information both visually and through descriptive audio narration, ensuring that participants could understand location-based visibility conditions without relying solely on visual maps.

The video defines the path of annularity and clarifies what participants would experience depending on their geographic location. For individuals within the path of annularity, eclipse maximum corresponded to annularity, when the Moon covered the center of the Sun, leaving a visible ring of sunlight. For individuals outside the path of annularity, eclipse maximum corresponded to the moment of greatest partial solar coverage.

Providing a clear, audio-supported explanation of eclipse geography was essential for both ES Observers and ES Data Collectors. Observation windows and audio recording protocols were structured around eclipse maximum, requiring participants to observe or record for a minimum of ten minutes before eclipse maximum, during eclipse maximum, and ten minutes after eclipse maximum. Accurate understanding of local eclipse conditions supported consistent and comparable data collection across geographically distributed sites.

The video also reinforces solar eclipse safety guidance, emphasizing the requirement for certified eclipse glasses or solar filters during annular and partial phases, when direct viewing of the Sun is never safe without proper protection.

This video was part of the official Eclipse Soundscapes (ES) training materials and is preserved to document the scientific framing, participation protocols, and accessibility-informed instructional design provided to volunteer scientists. Archiving this resource supports transparency, methodological consistency, and future reuse of the Eclipse Soundscapes participation framework.

Map Attribution and Third-Party Materials

Maps appearing within this video are courtesy of Michael Zeiler of GreatAmericanEclipse.com and were used with permission for educational purposes within the Eclipse Soundscapes project. While the video itself is original Eclipse Soundscapes material, the map imagery remains the intellectual property of Michael Zeiler and GreatAmericanEclipse.com.

The Creative Commons license associated with this Zenodo record applies only to original Eclipse Soundscapes content. Third-party materials appearing within the video, including map imagery courtesy of Michael Zeiler, are not licensed for independent reuse through this record. Any reuse of the video should retain the original map attribution contained within the video materials.

General Eclipse Soundscapes Project Information

The Eclipse Soundscapes Project (ES) was a NASA Volunteer Science project funded by NASA Science Activation that studied how solar eclipses affect life on Earth during the October 14, 2023 annular solar eclipse and the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse. ES revisited a historic study from the early 1900s showing that animals respond to eclipses and used modern technology and public participation to expand that research.

Eclipse Soundscapes was an enterprise of ARISA Lab, LLC and was supported by NASA award No. 80NSSC21M0008. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in materials from the project were those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.