Listen to the sounds coming from this super star 200 times larger than our Sun

NASA has shared the sonification of RS Puppis, one of the most luminous in the class of so-called Cepheid variable stars. Located about 6,500 light-years away, this glittering star is 200 times larger than our Sun and its average intrinsic brightness is 15,000 times greater than our Sun's luminosity.

The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope captured a sequence of images of the nebula's light echo, which is a result of light from the Cepheid pulsing outward and causing the nebula to flicker in brightness. Even though light moves incredibly quickly, the nebula is so vast that the reflected light can be seen travelling across it.

RS Puppis rhythmically brightens and dims over a six-week cycle. In this sonification, scientists represent data in the image as sound for a new, festive way of experiencing the nebula.

Sonification credits: SYSTEM Sounds (M. Russo, A. Santaguida) 

By studying the changes in brightness of RS Puppis itself and detecting the faint glimmers of light bouncing off the nebula, astronomers can measure these light echoes and determine the distance with great precision.

#HappyHolidays from Hubble!Here’s a festive sonification of RS Puppis, a glittering star wreathed with dust.Located about 6,500 light-years away, this star rhythmically brightens and dims over a six-week cycle: https://t.co/61Atm3jwMY pic.twitter.com/diLWLOk8AE

— Hubble (@NASAHubble) December 22, 2022