Watch: NASA releases 'one-hit wonder' data sonification of supermassive black hole

NASA’s Instagram account is a goldmine for those interested in gazing planetary activity beyond Earth. In case you are one of them, NASA’s most recent clip will leave you in awe.

The Space Agency shared data sonification of a supermassive black hole in an Instagram post. Sagittarius A*, the celestial giant, comes directly from the Milky Way galaxy’s center. Based on new evidence, it seems that the sleeping giant woke up recently, approximately 200 years ago, to devour gas and other cosmic materials within its reach.⁣ Not on par with the ‘Beethoven bangers of that time’, but NASA declares the new find as its ‘one-hit wonder.’

NASA’s new release

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The agency found that the combined images from Sagittarius A* enabled researchers to convert visual information from the Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) and @NASAChandraXray into sound, creating this sonification.⁣ The black hole, Sagittarius A* is far less luminous than other black holes at the centres of galaxies we can observe, indicating that our galaxy’s black hole hasn’t been actively devouring material.

Here’s the detailed description of the image: “An arched line ripples across the image, starting in the lower right-hand corner. As it passes over the orange-tinted IXPE data, sounds like digital winds are triggered, particularly where those orange areas are brightest. When the traveling line passes over blue-tinted Chandra data, the resulting notes resemble steel drums.⁣” The audio-visual is credited to NASA/CXC/SAO/K. Arcand, SYSTEM Sounds—M. Russo, A. Santaguida.

What is sonification?

NASA defines sonification as the translation of astronomical data into sound. Matt Russo, an astrophysicist, explains: “Sonification is the use of non-speech audio to convey information.” He adds, “It involves transforming data into sound so that connections between data are perceived, explored, and appreciated by the human auditory system.”

This has been done with a variety of intriguing data sets, including the black hole at the centre of the Perseus galaxy cluster. NASA’s “A Universe of Sound” is one such library of sonification projects. From the Eagle Nebula (Messier 16), which is 7,000 light years away, to the Tycho Supernova that occurred in November 1572, and the Chandra Deep Field data, which captures over 5,000 supermassive black holes in a single image, the listener can aurally explore deep space objects.

Listen to the incredible sonification here:

The post has garnered several likes. Reactions to the video also included various interesting comments.

How Instagram users reacted:

A user asked: “What’s the name of the song, NASA?” to which the Space Agency replied: “Milky Way’s Central Black Hole Sonification from NASA’s IXPE, streamed now on Youtube.”

Another user commented: “Full of mystery and magic.” “Space rizz,” added one of the accounts.

The video, which was posted a day ago, has received 5.8 million views as of now.

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