Sonification Links
|| Geospace || Other Planets || Non-Space Sonification || Sonification Organization
Over the years, there have been many sonification projects. We have tried to gather all the space sonification sounds from the web and organized them under solar system bodies. Each image above links to a page with sounds from data gathered around our solar system.
Sounds of Space Tutorial
This presentation is about waves that occur naturally in outer space. In particular, waves in audio frequency band, and outer space being the Earth's magnetosphere and the magnetospheres of other planets.
Sonifications
Solar Sounds
These are solar sounds generated from 40 days of Michelson Doppler Imager data and processed by A. Kosovichev.
Singing
Data collected from the Michelson Data Imager (MDI) is used to record the oscillations on the solar surface caused by acoustic waves inside the Sun, which are then translated into audible 'singing'.
Solar Music
A collection of files that were created by Marty Quinn, using data gathered by the SEPICA instrument on ACE. More information on the data used and the methods employed will be posted soon! For now, listen to the Solar Symphony. If using Windows Media Player, we recommend setting the "musical colors" to "Aurora".
Heliosphereic Radio Emissions
Sonification of data from the Plasma Wave Instrument (PWI) on Voyager-1 from the University of Iowa.
Geospace Sonifications
Earth Whistlers
A short introduction about these phenomena from Professor Don Gurnett's archive of favorite space sounds. Whistlers originate from lightning that travels along magnetic field lines from one hemisphere to the other. A sound sample of Earth whistlers can be found here.
Earth Proton Whistlers
A short introduction about these phenomena from Professor Don Gurnett's archive of favorite space sounds. Proton whistlers result from the Earth whistlers described above, and differ from the lightning-induced whistlers in tone. A sound sample of Earth proton whistlers can be found here.
Earth Chorus
A short introduction about this phenomenon from Professor Don Gurnett's archive of favorite space sounds. Chorus waves are produced by electrons traveling along the Earth's magnetic field lines in the van Allen radiation belts. A sound sample of Earth whistlers can be found here.
Earth Auroral Kilometric Radiation (AKR)
A short introduction about this phenomenon from Professor Don Gurnett's archive of favorite space sounds. AKR radio waves are connected to the "Northern Lights" or aurorae. Studies from the University of Iowa suggest that the same electrons that strike the Earth's atmosphere causing the aurorae are the source of AKR. A sound sample of Earth whistlers can be found here.
POLAR Plasma Wave Investigation (University of Iowa)
Satellite data from PWI studying plasma waves above Earth's polar regions are translated to produce sounds of the magnetosphere. Spectrograms, sound examples, descriptions of phenomena can be found on the site.
Magnetosphere/VLF Sites
Natural very low frequency (VLF) radio signals in the Earth's magnetosphere and aurorae, also known as 'Natural Radio', can be heard using ground-based receiving equipment. 'Natural radio' is affected by solar cycles, solar wind, and other 'space weather.' This VLF sonification can also be found here.
INSPIRE Project (Goddard Space Center)
INSPIRE "Interactive NASA Space Physics Ionosphere Radio Experiments" is a non-profit organization that provides radio receiver kits for high schools so that students can listen to earth-based natural radio phenomena. Both basic and advanced sound examples can be found on the INSPIRE page.
Other Planets
Mars Water Ice and Carbon Dioxide Ice
This program presents a musical composition created using actual ice data from Mars. You will see visual animations "showing" this data with maps and graphs and hear musical instruments "playing" this data with variations in pitch and volume.
Jovian Whisterls
A short introduction about these phenomena from Professor Don Gurnett's archive of favorite space sounds. Whistlers can be found emanating from Jupiter's magnetosphere. A sound sample of Jovian whistlers can be found here.
Jovian Chorus
A short introduction about this phenomenon from Professor Don Gurnett's archive of favorite space sounds. Chorus waves are generated in the radiation belts by electrons traveling along Jupiter's magnetic field. A sound sample of a Jovian chorus can be found here.
Galileo Mission
By translating Plasma Wave Experiment (PWS) data on the Galileo spacecraft into sound, it is possible to 'hear' the magnetosphere on Ganymede. Data from the Voyager spacecraft are used to produce sounds from Jupiter's magnetosphere and Jovian lightning.
Jupiter's Radio Noise
Naturally-occurring radio beacons from Jupiter's magnetic poles, fueled by volcanic emissions from Io, can be detected by earth-based antennae. The Gas-Giant Jupiter is a source of odd radio noises. Now anyone can listen to them using a NASA-sponsored audio stream on the Internet.
NASA Radio JOVE Project
Students can build their own radio receivers and tune into 'RADIO Jove', emissions from Jupiter's magnetosphere.
Radio SkyPipe
A software application presenting live VLF streams as audio + visual display, plus a built-in chat client to talk to other people who are logged in at the same time.
Sounds from Titan's Atmosphere
The European Space Agency's Huygens probe parachuted to Titan on Jan. 14th, 2005 transmitting the first sounds from the atmosphere and surface of Saturn's giant moon. There are other ways of playing back this sound, as demonstrated on the Planetary Society.
Saturn Bow Shock
Sonification of data from the University of Iowa Radio & Plasma Wave Science (RPWS) instrument on the Cassini mission to Saturn. The satellite crosses the area where particles from the Sun meet the magnetic field of Saturn. This area is known as the bow shock.
Sassini-Huygens Studies Saturn and its moons, Titan and Enceladus
Many different types of data are sonified with examples and explanations from electromagnetic plasma wave data, to radar echoes off Titan’s surface, to actual sound from a microphone as it descended down Titan’s atmosphere to Titan’s surface. For a nice interface to these sounds, visit this related site.
Radio Rotation Period of Saturn
Sonification of data from the University of Iowa Radio & Plasma Wave Science (RPWS) instrument on the Cassini mission used to study the rotation period of Saturn.
Solar System sounds and other space sounds
Sonification of data from the around the solar system in an interactive webpage as well as recordings from the early days of space exploration.
Non-Space Sonification
VENTS
Using radio acoustic techniques, VENTS detects and monitors phenomena under the seas, including ocean earthquakes, the distribution of whales, and other natural & man-made underwater sounds. VENTS sound examples and spectrograms can be found here.
Music From the Ocean
CD by Bob L. Sturm
50 Particles in a Three-Dimensional Harmonic Potential
An Experiment in 5 Movements by Bob L. Sturm
Sonification Organizations
Center for New Music & Audio Technologies
CNMAT houses a dynamic group of educational, performance and research programs focused on the creative interaction between music and technology. CNMAT’s research program is highly interdisciplinary, linking all of UC Berkeley’s disciplines dedicated to the study or creative use of sound.
International Community for Auditory Display (ICAD)
The International Community for Auditory Display (ICAD) provides a worldwide research forum on sonification.
Design Rhythmics Sonification Research lab
Sonification of solar data, seismic data, and climate data by Marty Quinn.
Space Audio
An archive of sounds collected by University of Iowa instruments on different spacecraft missions.
University of Hawaii Windward Community College Radio Observatory
Operating as part of NASA's Radio Jove project the observatory receives radio noise bursts from the planet Jupiter and from the . These signals are being made available in real-time over the Internet. You can also visit our sound archive and stripchart archive for sounds and views of notable past observations.
Space Science Data Facility of NASA
In collaboration with Robert Candey as adviser and Wanda Diaz, a blind astrophysicist from Puerto Rico, Anton Schertenleib developed a tool which uses three different ways to display/sonify data.
ComposerScientist
ComposerScientist provides a space for artists, scientists and engineers to examine and discuss the interplay between art, science and technology in fields such as the sonification of scientific data.
