A Once-in-Many-Centuries Event

Here in the U.S., many of us are eagerly awaiting the April 8th, 2024 total solar eclipse, the last of its kind to cross our paths (at least in the contiguous U.S.) until the year 2045. Austin, Texas, where we produce Point of Discovery, is right in the path of totality. And this eclipse feels even more special because the last total solar eclipse in Austin happened before there was an Austin, in the year 1397.

On today’s show, we talk to bird biologist Peter English about the strange ways that animals respond to solar eclipses; biologist David Ledesma about the plants and animals that lived in Central Texas 600 years ago; and archaeologist Fred Valdez about what Native Americans might have made of that last solar eclipse. 

Resources for watching the April 8, 2024 solar eclipse

• April 8 Total Solar Eclipse (McDonald Observatory)
• Interactive Solar Eclipse Map for April 8
• Total Eclipse of the Horns (UT Austin)
• Totality (free, interactive phone app that tells you what the eclipse will be like for any location, which locations will experience totality and for exactly how long)
• How to View a Solar Eclipse Safely (American Astronomical Society)
• Solar Eclipse Across America (American Astronomical Society)

Dig deeper into eclipse science

• Lunar and solar eclipses make animals do strange things

Episode credits

• Select bird sounds from: Yasuni Soundscapes – Ecuador 2018, by Lang Elliott
• Our theme music was composed by Charlie Harper
• Other music for today’s show was produced by: Podington Bear
• Cover image: The Sun’s corona shining brightly during a total solar eclipse in 2009. This media was created by the National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory (NOIRLab). Credit: Miloslav Druckmüller, Peter Aniol, Vojtech Rušin, Ľubomír Klocok, Karel Martišek, Martin Dietzel. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

About Point of Discovery

Point of Discovery is a production of the University of Texas at Austin's College of Natural Sciences and is a part of the Texas Podcast Network. The opinions expressed in this podcast represent the views of the hosts and guests, and not of The University of Texas at Austin. You can listen via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, RSS, Amazon Podcasts, and more. Questions or comments about this episode or our series in general? Email Marc Airhart.