Astronify promises to make the field of astronomy richer and more accessible by means of sonification, the process of converting data into sound. Rather than creating visual depictions of data in the form of images, graphs, and the like, sonification produces an auditory representation of that data. While visual depictions make use of color, shading, and form, auditory depictions make use of pitch, volume, and time. As such, not only can this new technology help visually impaired or blind scientists, but it allows sighted scientists to analyze astronomical data in a different way. This technology will undoubtedly lead to the discovery of more of the universe’s phenomena and mysteries, and it represents an exciting step forward for accessibility in the sciences. Listen to the story behind Astronify as heard on WYPR’s Out of the Blocks podcast, and check out these examples of sonified galaxy data on GitHub. Learn more from Astronify’s official website, where you’ll be able to immerse yourself in examples of the technology at work that are accompanied by written and narrated explanations of the galactic phenomena behind the data.
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