Astronomy Picture of the Day
Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
written by a professional astronomer.
2019 July 9
Birds During a Total Solar Eclipse
Image Credit & Copyright: Leonardo Caldas
Explanation: What do birds do during a total solar eclipse? Darkness
descends more quickly in a total eclipse than during sunset, but
returns just as quickly -- and perhaps unexpectedly to the avians --
just a few minutes later. Stories about the unusual behavior of birds
during eclipses have been told for centuries, but bird reactions were
recorded and studied systematically by citizen scientists participating
in an eBird project during the total solar eclipse that crossed the USA
in 2017 August. Although some unusual behaviors were observed, many
observers noted birds acting like it was dusk and either landing or
flying low to the ground. Radar confirmed a significant decrease in
high-flying birds and insects during and just after totality.
Conversely, several sightings of normally nocturnal birds were
reported. Pictured, a flock of birds in La Serena, Chile flew through
the air together during the total solar eclipse that crossed South
America last week. The photographer captured the scene in frames from
an eclipse video. The next total solar eclipse in 2020 December will
also cross South America, while in 2024 April a total solar eclipse
will cross North America from Mexico through New England, USA.
Gallery 2019: Notable total eclipse images submitted to APOD
Tomorrow's picture: 4000 exoplanets
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Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.
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& Michigan Tech. U.
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