In a groundbreaking expedition covering the vast expanses of space with the intimate ground of human feeling, NASA has unveiled a breathtaking set of “cosmic symphonies”, allowing us to quite literally lend an ear to the rich depths of the universe. Through a revolutionary process known as sonification, researchers at the American Space Agency have beautifully converted the complex data gathered by some of its most advanced orbital telescopes – the iconic Chandra X-ray Observatory, the revolutionary James Webb Space Telescope, and the specialized Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) – into sonic landscapes. This new hybrid of scientific precision and artistic interpretation offers a whole new modality for existing in and comprehending the universe.
The first series of three publicly released tracks precisely maps various steps in the salacious life cycle of a black hole or the surroundings of such enigmatic entities. By rendering extreme and often optically elusive cosmic phenomena into sound, these pieces translate abstract information into interesting sound narratives. The translation, in this case, is not a random composition; rather, the information is translated into sound based on strict scientific standards. Properties such as the intensity of emissions, position in the space of objects, and variations in X-ray or optical light over regions are systematically transferred to specific musical instruments, notes, and dynamics, so the resulting sounds depend directly on the data collected.
Like an interstellar sigh
Several such fascinating sonifications aim at a giant star named WR 124, a striking Wolf-Rayet star some 28,000 light-years from our galaxy. This giant of the stars is currently in the dramatic, terminal phase of its existence. With incredible light and inherent instability, WR 124 is ejecting its outer atmosphere into the surrounding space, developing a bright and enormous cloud of gas and dust.
This is a time of acute and turbulent instability, a precursor that could ultimately result in a supernova explosion of cataclysmic proportions and the eventual formation of a black hole. The soundscape for WR 124 starts with a swooping sound descent – like an interstellar sigh or even a dirge – before it shifts to a more ethereal sound rendered by instruments such as flutes, bells, and harps. These are orchestrated meticulously to symbolize the turbulent and majestic expansion of the star material that has been expelled, creating a sonic image of stellar death and transformation.
Echoes from SS 433: listening to the rhythms of a cosmic duet
Travelling across the vast cosmic expanse, the second track takes individuals to the elegant heart of the SS 433 binary system approximately 18,000 light-years away. Within this system is a star like our Sun trapped in a tight orbit with a vastly denser companion – possibly a black hole or neutron star. The strong gravitational interaction of these two bodies produces strong and changing X-ray emissions. These changes in X-ray intensity and timing are directly mapped into tonal pitch and rhythmic variations in the soundscape of sonification, representing an aural depiction of this dynamic cosmic dance. The vast surrounding space, a gigantic interstellar cloud surrounding the system, is represented by discrete drops of sound and carefully plucked strings, creating the illusion of watching a heavenly duet taking place within an enormous, dusty cosmic space.
Music from the origins of the world
The album concludes in a spectacular finale within the elliptical galaxy Centaurus A, an astonishing 12 million light-years away. At the heart of this active galaxy is a supermassive black hole of enormous energy, powering an enormous jet of high-energy particles and radiation that stretches across the whole galactic disk, strongly detected in X-ray observations. In this sonification, the intense X-ray emissions of this giant jet are translated by resonant bell-like sounds that seem to be transmitted and shaped by an invisible cosmic wind, implying a titanic amount of energy and concentrated power.
Meanwhile, the fine stellar engineering of the galaxy itself, as observed in optical light, is translated sonically by the rich and detailed string textures. The result is a rich and highly evocative sonic journey that speaks to the magnitude of power and intricacy held within the heart of Centaurus A, allowing listeners to hear acoustically the size and power of a supermassive black hole in action.
Ultimately, these ‘cosmic symphonies’ are more than scientific information presented in music; they are effective exploration and engagement devices. By making the abstract and often unseen forces of the universe present through the sense of hearing, sonification opens new possibilities for scientific observation and public comprehension. It allows us to feel the universe not just as a collection of distant lights and faraway abstractions but as a living, breathing cosmos with its own silent music, calling us to listen closely to the song of dead stars, the beat of binary systems, and the vast resonance of galactic centres.
