Sonification is the process of converting data into sound. It's a method of representing information or data streams through non-speech audio, making patterns a...
Cassini-Huygens passing through Saturn's rings - Space Sounds
NASA/ESA/ASI Cassini-Huygens spacecraft is hit by millions of dust particles as it goes through a gap in Saturn's icy rings.Although the ring gaps appear empty, they are not. The spacecraft ploughed through these dust particles at a speed of about 70 000 kilometres per hour! These impacts, converted into audible sounds, resemble hail hitting a tin roof.
-------- Â
0:14
Whistler Atmospheric squeaking - Space Sounds
Whistlers were first occasionally heard at the end of the 19th century on long-distance telephone lines. They are electromagnetic emissions produced in the atmosphere, but their cause is still partly unclear. They originate from thunderstorms or meteorites, or even after earthquakes. Once produced, the sounds travel along closed magnetic field lines from one hemisphere to the other. Studying them can yield information about the Earth's atmosphere, ionosphere, and magnetosphere up to very long distances. This one is a lightning strike recorded by Cluster (courtesy of Prof. D. Gurnett, University of Iowa).
-------- Â
0:15
Dawn in Space - Space Sounds
'Dawn chorus' signals detected by ESA Cluster’s WBD (Wide Band Data) instrument.High-energy electrons get trapped in the Earth’s radiation belts. When they are accelerated by the electromagnetic field, they produce this familiar sound. With the help of missions studying particles in space like the four Cluster spacecraft, ESA scientists are investigating how the electrons are accelerated and how the sound like the 'dawn chorus' of birds is created.
-------- Â
0:46
Auroral Star Wars - Space Sounds
Sound of an Auroral Kilometric Radiation (AKR) collected by Cluster resembles the one of R2D2, the little robot from 'Star Wars'.Earth can generate radio emissions in a natural way. The most intense of these emissions is a phenomenon called Auroral Kilometric Radiation (AKR). It is produced in the auroral zones at an altitude between 3000 and 20 000 kilometres. Afterwards, the sounds escape outward in the space from the magnetic field lines. AKR intensifies during magnetic and auroral substorms so you can use it as a remote indicator of geomagnetic activity. The Wide Band (WBD) instrument on-board Cluster recorded this sound and made the first direct determination of the locations of an AKR
-------- Â
2:00
Wailing of Leonids - Space Sounds
Each time a meteor crosses the atmosphere, it leaves behind a short trail of ionised particles. This trail reflects high-frequency radio signals from stations around the world for just a few seconds. The motion of the meteor trail due to the upper atmosphere winds changes the frequency of the reflected signal (Doppler effect). You 'hear' the trail as it is blown around by the winds before it is eventually dispersed.
Sonification is the process of converting data into sound. It's a method of representing information or data streams through non-speech audio, making patterns and changes in the data perceptible through sound. This technique can be particularly useful for analyzing data patterns, for educational purposes, and for making data accessible to individuals with visual impairments.NASA has utilized sonification in a fascinating way to turn data from space into sound. This process involves translating the information collected by various space missions — such as light, radio waves, or magnetic fields — into audible sounds. It's a unique approach to data analysis and public engagement that transforms the seemingly intangible aspects of space into something that can be heard and experienced.This podcast included sounds NASA has used Sonification to create so space can be experienced in a new and unique way.Galactic CenterCas AM16Bullet ClusterCrab NebulaSN87ASagittarius A* / Galactic CenterEta CarinaeM87 JetSagittarius A* (EHT)Southern Ring NebulaV404 CygniStephan's QuintetNGC 6543CDFM51Westerlund 2TychoM87Perseus ClusterSagittarius A*Carina NebulaWASP-96 bR AquariiM104
New Zealand