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Perseus Galaxy cluster - Black Hole Sonification

Perseus Galaxy cluster - Black Hole Sonification

FromSpace Sounds - Space Data Sonification


Perseus Galaxy cluster - Black Hole Sonification

FromSpace Sounds - Space Data Sonification

ratings:
Length:
1 minute
Released:
Nov 27, 2023
Format:
Podcast episode

Description

Since 2003, the black hole at the center of the Perseus galaxy cluster has been associated with sound. This is because astronomers discovered that pressure waves sent out by the black hole caused ripples in the cluster's hot gas that could be translated into a note — one that humans cannot hear some 57 octaves below middle C. Now a new sonification brings more notes to this black hole sound machine. In some ways, this sonification is unlike any other done before because it revisits the actual sound waves discovered in data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. The popular misconception that there is no sound in space originates with the fact that most of space is essentially a vacuum, providing no medium for sound waves to propagate through. A galaxy cluster, on the other hand, has copious amounts of gas that envelop the hundreds or even thousands of galaxies within it, providing a medium for the sound waves to travel. In this sonification of Perseus, the sound waves astronomers previously identified were extracted and made audible for the first time. The sound waves were extracted in radial directions, that is, outwards from the center. The signals were then resynthesized into the range of human hearing by scaling them upward by 57 and 58 octaves above their true pitch. Another way to put this is that they are being heard 144 quadrillion and 288 quadrillion times higher than their original frequency. (A quadrillion is 1,000,000,000,000,000.) The radar-like scan around the image allows you to hear waves emitted in different directions. In the visual image of these data, blue and purple both show X-ray data captured by Chandra.
Released:
Nov 27, 2023
Format:
Podcast episode

Titles in the series (9)

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