NASA has released a playlist of eerie recordings from the solar system, which includes sounds captured by the Hubble Space Telescope and other space instruments
. The playlist features sounds from Mercury to Jupiter, including the haunting sounds of Mars’ winds, Jupiter’s moons Europa and Ganymede, Earth resembling birds and whales, and Saturn sounding like a sci-fi movie
. The playlist has been uploaded on NASA’s website and can be accessed through their Solar System Exploration website
.
In addition to this playlist, NASA has also compiled a bunch of sonifications into a playlist that has been uploaded on SoundCloud
. The playlist, titled “Solar System & Beyond Sounds,” contains tracks such as “Chorus Radio Waves within Earth’s Atmosphere,” “Sputnik: Beep,” and “Cassini: Saturn Radio Emissions #2”
.
NASA explains that these sounds are created through a process called data sonification, which converts digital data from space telescopes into sound
. This technique assigns pitches and volumes to elements of the image, such as brightness and position, to create a unique auditory experience that offers a fresh perspective on the universe
. Sonifications allow the audience, including blind and visually impaired communities, to “listen” to astronomical images and explore their data
.