The August 12 event in Palencia is part of the “Inclusive Eclipse” initiative

A group of people with visual impairments experiencing a total solar eclipse
A group of people experiencing the total solar eclipse of 2 July 2019 using LightSound devices at an event at La Portada Stadium in La Serena, Chile. Credits: LightSound.
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As part of the program of initiatives that the IAC—in collaboration with the Palencia City Council and with the support of the Canary Islands Government, and as part of its NATE project—will carry out in Palencia to mark the total solar eclipse on August 12, people with visual impairments will be offered the opportunity to follow the event through the Inclusive Eclipse project of the Institute of Space Sciences (ICE-ISIC). This option will be available at a designated location on the grounds of the Cristo del Otero monument.

In this sound art space, anyone can enjoy the eclipse through sound generated in real time by LightSound devices. This experience allows visitors to perceive the evolution of the phenomenon through sound variations that reflect changes in sunlight, offering a new way to experience the eclipse that not only makes it possible for people with visual impairments to participate but also invites all attendees to discover the phenomenon from a different, immersive perspective.

LightSound Devices

Developed by Harvard University’s LightSound project, these devices use Arduino technology to convert light intensity into sound. During a solar eclipse, as the Moon covers the Sun, the device emits a sound whose pitch gradually lowers and becomes deeper until it disappears completely during the total solar eclipse phase, audibly reproducing the eclipse process. LightSound devices can be connected to headphones for a personal experience or to speakers for a shared experience. By recording light intensity, these devices allow users to create a soundscape of the eclipse observation.

These devices have already proven their effectiveness during previous solar eclipses in the United States (2017, 2024), Chile, and Argentina (2019–2020). Thanks to them, many people with visual impairments were able to experience and enjoy this astronomical phenomenon, transforming traditional observation into a multisensory experience.

Thanks to funding from the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT), the Inclusive Eclipse project has produced 120 devices at three events in May and June: two events with research and engineering staff at ICE-CSIC and a workshop with volunteers held at TransfoLab in Barcelona.

For the IAC, it is a great pleasure to participate in this initiative, which helps turn this unique moment into a shared experience of emotion and beauty.

Related projects
Sequence of a total solar eclipse
NATE: Science that brings people together under the eclipses
The NATE project encompasses two eclipses, three countries—Spain, Morocco, and the United States—as well as scientists, students, volunteers (citizen scientists), the «emptied Spain», and an outermost island region, all in a shared pursuit of knowledge. The North African Telescope Eclipse (NATE) project, led by the Instituto de Astrofísica de
Valentín Juan
Martínez Pillet
In progress
Related news
Sequence of a total solar eclipse
Press release
The IAC is launching the NATE experiment in Palencia to coincide with the total solar eclipse on 12 Augustwith the support of the Government of the Canary Islands
On 12 August, to mark the total eclipse that will be visible across much of Spain, various towns in Palencia — including the capital, Frómista and Carrión de los Condes — will host a series of observation and outreach events bringing together scientists and students from Spain, Morocco and the United States. This event will serve as a training exercise for the NATE experiment, which will take place in North Africa during the next total eclipse next year, and will act as a meeting point between depopulated areas of Spain, the outermost regions, and Moroccan, American and Spanish students and
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Valentín Martínez Pillet, Director of the IAC, speaks during the press conference presenting the NATE educational programme on the August eclipse in Palencia.
General
The “NATE” educational program on the August eclipse was presented in Palencia
The Plenary Hall of the Palencia City Council hosted the presentation of the program of events surrounding the upcoming eclipse. This ambitious program of educational and artistic events was presented by the mayor of Palencia, Miriam Andrés Prieto; the director of the Canary Islands Institute of Astrophysics (IAC), Valentín Martínez Pillet; the councilor for Cultural Identity, Tourism, and Festivals, Francisco Fernández Asensio; and the deputy director of the IAC, Eva Villaver, a native of Palencia. In anticipation of the upcoming eclipse on August 12, Palencia will become Spain’s scientific
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News type
Press release
Scope
Outreach
Outreach
Communications media
Solar Physics (FS)
Solar eclipses
Total eclipses
Eclipse Inclusivo

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