NASA analysed a photo taken by the Hubble Telescope so we can hear what space 'sounds like' - Business Insider Australia

In space, we’d usually only be able to hear silence because of the lack of objects needed to create the vibrations that make sound.
However through sonification of a deep space image of a “galactic treasure chest”, NASA has managed to make a small portion of the universe audible.
Based on a photo of the Hubble Space Telescope that NASA transformed into sounds, the music is fascinating but is also quite creepy.

Though we’re discovering more and more every day, the universe is still filled with secrets and enigma that mankind is only just starting to uncover.

Even if we’ve managed to sight billions of stars and galaxies in the infinite vastness of space, there’s still so much that remains hidden to us — including what the universe sounds like.

Humans hear sounds through vibrating objects in the air. In space, however, there’s such a negligible amount of objects to carry sound that we can only hear silence.

NASA decided to turn Hubble’s image into a creepy song

However, through sonification of an image showing a “galactic treasure chest” deep in space, NASA has managed to make a small portion of the universe audible.

The music, which sounds pretty frightening, was derived from a photo taken by the Hubble Space Telescope.

The image was taken by Hubble in August last year and shows numerous galaxies. “Each visible speck of a galaxy is home to countless stars,” NASA writes about the photo. “A few stars closer to home shine brightly in the foreground, while a massive galaxy cluster nestles at the very center of the image; an immense collection of maybe thousands of galaxies, all held together by the relentless force of gravity,” NASA said.

As beautiful as Hubble’s image is, NASA has taken it to a new level, transforming it into a stunning and rather frightening musical composition.

You can listen to the eerie soundtrack here.

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Though the image sounds strangely beautiful and pretty fascinating, it’s also kind of scary.

The team responsible for the sonification said that the different elements and their locations on the Hubble photo produce different sounds.

“Time flows left to right, and the frequency of sound changes from bottom to top, ranging from 30 to 1,000 hertz,” NASA explained in a press release. “Objects near the bottom of the image produce lower notes while those near the top produce higher ones.”

“Stars and compact galaxies create short, clear tones,” according to the statement, “while sprawling spiral galaxies emit longer notes that change pitch. The higher density of galaxies near the center of the image — the heart of this galaxy cluster, known as RXC J0142.9+4438 — results in a swell of mid-range tones halfway through the video. “

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