Astronomers have been periodically trying to find ways to bring the beauty of the night sky to the visually impaired through a variety of different means. From 3D-printed models to textures being used to denote color to images being translated to sound, a variety of different means have been used. 

Data Sonification, which translates colors to notes and intensity to loudness, is one of the more popular ways of presenting astronomy non-visually. A new project combines data from the Chandra X-Ray Observatory, the Hubble Space Telescope, and the Spitzer Space Telescope and translates the information in each set of colors into sounds. In the piece we’re about to play, data from supernova Cassiopeia A is played. As the sonification scans through the image, moving from the center and out toward the edges, sounds represent the position and the brightness of sources in those positions.

More Information

Chandra X-ray Observatory press release