Have you ever wondered what space or its elements sound like? Well, today you might have some kind of an answer to that question. NASA just released its interpretation of what light from the Butterfly Nebula sounds like.
In order to turn light into sound, NASA had to translate it into instruments and notes. Therefore, each wavelength of light from the nebula was paired with a different group of instruments to create “a symphony of soothing sounds,” says NASA. The “wings” of the nebula are linked to strings and synthetic tones, while the stars are represented by a digital harp. Thus, giving us an astonishing and quite immersive sound.
While this sound is an interpretation and a result of NASA’s light-to-sound conversion – aka Data Sonification – this definitely still gives us a powerful inspiring sound pushing us to reflect on, and admire this Nebula along with the universe’s depth and complexity.
If you’ve never heard of it, the Butterfly Nebula is located around 2,500 to 3,800 light-years away from Earth. NGC 6302 belongs to the Scorpius constellation of the Milky Way galaxy, and is travelling across space at more than 600,000 mph.
Listen to NASA’s clip below.