Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science

Aug. 12, 2026

ABOUT THIS EPISODE

Total solar eclipse 2026: Astrophotography and birdsong

On August 12th, 2026, the Moon’s shadow will sweep across Iceland, Greenland, and Spain, bringing the first total solar eclipse visible from Europe since 1999. And because this eclipse happens near sunset, it promises to be one of the most visually stunning in living memory.

Astrophotographer Andrew McCarthy, founder of Cosmic Background Photography, joins the show to talk about his extraordinary 2024 eclipse image, his collaboration with the Artemis II crew to capture the Moon in unprecedented detail, and what he's planning for this unique low-horizon eclipse. Then, bioacoustics researcher David Mann, founder of Haikubox and Loggerhead Instruments, shares the results of the Eclipse Echoes study, which used a network of hundreds of AI-powered bird monitors to reveal how birds across North America responded to the 2024 eclipse. The answer is far more complicated than simply going quiet.

Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2026-total-solar-eclipse

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Science

Natural Sciences

English

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IN THIS EPISODE

Astrophotographer Andrew McCarthy

David Mann

space

science

technology

engineering

astronomy

planetary

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