The Cat's Eye Nebula: Multiwavelength Data Sonification | NASA Chandra

The Cat's Eye Nebula: Multiwavelength Data Sonification | NASA Chandra

Data sonification translates information collected by various NASA missions—such as the Chandra X-ray Observatory, Hubble Space Telescope, and Spitzer Space Telescope—into sounds.

When a star like the Sun begins to run out of helium to burn, it will blow off huge clouds of gas and dust. These outbursts can form spectacular structures such as the one seen in the Cat's Eye nebula. This image of the Cat's Eye contains both X-rays from Chandra around the center and visible light data from the Hubble Space Telescope, which show the series of bubbles expelled by the star over time. To listen to these data, there is a radar-like scan that moves clockwise emanating from the center point to produce pitch. Light that is further from the center is heard as higher pitches while brighter light is louder. The X-rays are represented by a harsher sound, while the visible light data sound smoother. The circular rings create a constant hum, interrupted by a few sounds from spokes in the data. The rising and falling pitches that can be heard are due to the radar scan passing across the shells and jets in the nebula.

Sonification Credit: NASA/Chandra X-ray Center (CXC)/Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO)/K.Arcand, SYSTEM Sounds (M. Russo, A. Santaguida)

Video Credit: NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory

Duration: 34 seconds

Release Date: May 21, 2021

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