Description
Most "sounds from space" we encounter are sonifications -- that is, they are data translated into sound. Because we as humans are incapable of appreciating the range and scope of electromagnetic fluctuations with our own senses, we translate the feedback into something we can perceive. It becomes a way of understanding the awesome forces that govern our universe, whether it's the arcing fields around planets or yawning black holes.
Although I know they're a little sensationalist, I've always been drawn to the "eeriness" of these recordings. Translated into an almost mechanical hum, Jupiter sounds almost bestial as its electromagnetic waves moan and groan.
Connections
The Genesis Tone is an example of cosmic noise that can be found in my setting.
Sources
- Earth's Song by Maria-Jose Vinas Garcia (2012)
- Sinister Sounds of the Solar System by NASA (2020)