Turning Visual Astronomy Data Into Sounds

Thanks to new “’sonifications’” from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, astronomy data conveyed visually can now be converted into sounds. For example, one of the sonifications, of the Tycho supernova remnant, utilizes sounds that begin in the middle of the remnant and move outward. Its reddest colors, representing iron, are communicated through lower notes, while the bluest colors, indicating sulfur, are conveyed through higher notes. One of the main goals of the initiative “was to enable blind or visually impaired people to appreciate the wonder of space,” according to Chandra Lead Scientist Kimberly Arcand. Read more about how to Hear the sounds of space with these Chandra sonifications.