The universe is rising with a light that is invisible to us.
The electromagnetic spectrum extends far beyond visible light in all directions. Longer waves include radio waves and shorter waves reach X-rays and gamma rays.
To study the universe as a whole, therefore, we need to widen our eyes. Some telescopes reach the radio part of the spectrum to enter the dust clouds between us and the center of the constellation, while others examine X-rays from black holes full of energy and debris supernova.
But the fascinating images we know and love are always rendered in full color – transformed from invisible X-rays or radio waves to visible light for us to see. the universe in all its beauty.
Now, NASA has taken it a step further and turned light into sound.
In a series of sonifications, scientists and musicians translate beautiful images into powerful sound scenes. The latest edition, published this week, features data from the Chandra X-ray Observatory and the Hubble Space Telescope, among others.
Range of Black Hole and Galaxies
First, the Chandra Deep Field.
Almost every color point in the image is like a galaxy or a supermassive black hole.
The sonification sweeps from bottom to top. If you have headphones, you will see light points on the right side played into your right ear, and points on the left into your left ear. Warmer colors accentuate lower tones and cooler colors highlight higher tones.
While the incredibly wide range of X-rays collected by Chandra needs to be condensed so that we can see them in reds and blues, the sonification encompasses the full spectrum.
Soothing, no?
A rebellion of a dying sun
The Cat’s Eye Nebula was created when sun, like ours, ran low on the helium burning the heart, shaking the outer layers, and then igniting them.
This sonification is a team effort. The center includes X-ray data from Chandra, and further out we come across visible light from Hubble.
Instead of a coin to top, the sonification sweeps around the nebula like hands on the face of a clock. Visible light is softer, X-rays are louder, and in all cases brighter is higher. The rings provide a stable backdrop with punctuation with speech-like features in the nebula. Someday, in the future, our own sun may sound like this.
Home (haunted) away from home
The M51, or the Whirlpool Galaxy, would be what the Milky Way would be like if we could take a trip over his plane. But seeing as close drive stays firmly out of reach, we need to settle for images of the M51. If this sonification is a signal, however, it is a tight spot.
Again, the combination sweeps around the radius of the galaxy, but here, the tones belong to the small melodic scale. It is clear that creative choice has a place in the character of each piece.
This sonification combines four waves from four telescopes: infrared (Spitzer), optical (Hubble), ultraviolet (GALEX), and X-ray (Chandra). Each one gets its own sonic frequency. Higher areas that correspond to waves are specified in the spinning arms farthest from the galactic center.
Let’s just say this one is … sorry.
Image credit: NASA, ESA, HEIC, and Hubble Heritage Team (STScI / AURA)