I’ve posted about space sounds and sonification before, and all of that writing has been about consuming these sounds online. Now, Chandra Labs at NASA has put out an album, Universal Harmonies—not only digitally but on CD and vinyl too.
Universal Harmonies contains 16 tracks of various lengths of sonifications and amplifications of data from the Chandra X-ray Observatory, which is in Earth orbit. Dan Falk explains the science and method over at Smithonian Magazine. The Chandra Labs team’s method involves “taking visual data from optical, infrared and X-ray telescopes and assigning notes to that data.”
I like NASA’s description that says the record “lets us listen to some of the most extreme objects ever known, including black holes, exploded stars, clusters of galaxies and more.”
Not only is the record extreme, it’s a benefit for the Helen Keller Foundation. Sounds like a win-win.
Universal Harmonies is out now at Bandcamp. Check it out; it’s awesome. Vinyl lovers should act fact, though: the wax is limited edition.
Read more about sonification and space sounds before here at the blog.
Image: Chandra Labs