NASA captures sounds from around the Milky Way galaxy | Listen

 

Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Optical: NASA/STScI; IR: Spitzer NASA/JPL-Caltech

NASA has turned astronomical images from the Chandra X-Ray Observatory and other telescopes into sound - a process called sonification - allowing users to listen to the centre of our home galaxy, the Milky Way, for the first time.

In this sonification, sounds represent the position and brightness of the sources. The brightness of objects towards the top of the image is interpreted as higher-pitched sounds, with the volume being controlled by the intensity of the light. Individual stars and compact sources are transformed into distinct notes, while larger clouds of gas and dust create an evolving drone.

The bright region located to the bottom right of the image is where the supermassive black hole with a mass of 4 million suns, known as Sagittarius A*, is located, and it is surrounded by the brightest clouds of gas and dust.

This sonification of the Galactic Center is part of NASA's Universe of Learning (UoL) program. This project has also produced sonified versions of the remains of a supernova called Cassiopeia A, or Cas A - one of the most intensely studied supernova remnants located about 11,000 light years from Earth.

Let's go supernova for #SuperBowlLVII. ✨ This is a sonification is of a supernova called Cassiopeia A (Cas A). In Cas A, the sounds are mapped to elements found in the debris from the exploded star as well as X-ray data from @chandraxray.More HERE>> https://t.co/j6n6X0iZMx pic.twitter.com/dOpfhB5hcy

— NASA Marshall (@NASA_Marshall) February 12, 2023