NASA has produced much music from the galaxies using the method of sonification. Sonification means the process of translating data into sound. NASA used this method recently to develop the sound for the galaxies of the universe.
In this sonification method, the project turns x-ray and infrared light data into audio, and these are gathered from the far and wide places of the universe by three NASA telescopes.
This data is a combination of unique sets of binary numbers which are in zeros and ones. NASA translated this data into audio notes.
NASA has used data from the Galactic centers, which is the Milky Way rotational center. With this, it turned into a peaceful, tinkling soundscape.
Audio pieces by NASA
The rest of the audio pieces include the supernova called Cassiopeia A and the “Pillars of Creation” – towering tendrils of cosmic dust and gas. The NASA’s Chandra Ray Observatory Hubble Space Telescope, and Spitzer space telescope takes the image data, all of which record a different light spectrum region.
Binary codes into audio
The translation of the binary codes into audio begins from the left side and ends on the right side. The sounds represent the positions and brightness of the light sources. For example, the light objects’ location is towards the top of the picture and is heard as higher pitches while the volume controls the light’s intensity. NASA said:
“Stars and compact sources are converted to individual notes while extended clouds of gas and dust produce an evolving drone.”
Furthermore, another element called is the crescendo as the listener reaches the bright region of the light tower image. Sagittarius A is the 4 million solar mass supermassive back, which is at the center of the Galaxy. It is where the clouds and the gases and dust are the brightest.
Using either solo from the Chandra Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes, this audio played and listened to. Or together as an ensemble in which each telescope plays a different instrument.
The Hubble Chandra and Spitzer telescopes remain the three of the four great observations. NASA launched these large, powerful space-based astronomical telescopes between the years 1990 and 2003. Every one of the observatories built specifically as per their region.
Of the four Hubble, at this moment, only Hubble and the Chandra are the only ones who remain active. The Crompton was decommissioned in 2000 and the Spitzer in the initial month of 2020.
Image courtesy of DANIEL CONSTANTE/Shutterstock