Let me start with a fact out of the way.
We term Space is infinite. And when it comes to Space research, science has not yet reached a great level yet. More light years we have to cover and explore the bits, than our imagination.
One of the fact we know: Sound cannot travel through a vacuum.
Hmmm... Did I say,”vacuum”?
Okay, now come to the point.
I am sure; you are well aware of the 1979 sci-fi horror blockbuster "Alien." Its tagline says, “In space, no one can hear you scream.”
Space
To put it another way, it reflects, sound can't travel in the empty vacuum of space. Right?
Even Physicist term Outer space as the perfect vacuum. Well, it is true; but only up to a point.
You must be scratching your head thinking, “What in the world are you saying?”
Yeah, it is.
What does it mean by “only true up to a point”?
It means outer space is a closest physical approximation of a perfect vacuum. Why because space has a very low density of atmospheric gas and pressure.
But the truth is: no vacuum is truly perfect.
Not even interstellar space. Because there are still a few hydrogen atoms per cubic meter present.
Empty Space Isn't Empty
Wikipedia: Magnetosphere Structure
Space looks empty, but it buzzy. It isn't a complete & empty void, though vast swathes of it are.
There is interstellar gas. Leftover clouds of dust by old stars. And these have the potential to carry radio sound waves - we can’t listen with our normal ears.
If your eyes worked at the quantum level, it would have been easy to spot out all sorts of ‘dark matter.’ The micro Particles are in the form of gas, solar wind, electromagnetic radiation, dust and cosmic radiation.
In the other hand, if they were in the Earth’s atmosphere, they would make quite an uproar. We would identify them with our humanoid ears.
The Chorus Rhythm of Space
Dark matters in outer space endlessly play their rhythm.
They create electromagnetic waves when they vibrate, Spin, and bounce back through the void.
The particles move around a belt called as Ven Allen Belt. And the waves they form are of such a low frequency that is beyond of human hearing.
Earth's Radiation Belts, Ven Allen Space
We need high-end detectors to identify the existence and record the particular frequencies. Especially the movements that create abuzz in the vacuum space.
One can hear these waves once they are converted into human audible range.
Kletzing is a physics professor at the University of Iowa. He says, “If you had radio ears … you would hear these waves in space.”
Why? Because Humans have a limited auditory system. No matter, our sense of hearing is sharp, but it is limited to a range - starting from 20Hz to 20KHz. More (or, less) than the limits, no one can hear the Audio.
human audible range
But when the data is turned into sound files, the result is an eerie cosmic symphony.
Hear The Whistles of Space
The Plasma waves and the charged lower-energy particles create the “chorus” waves. And it sounds like listening to extraterrestrial alien birds.
Chorus "Risers" Caused By Particles Striking The Atmosphere
Van Allen Probes B "Giraffes in Space" 2013-10-09
Who Recorded The Chirpy Radio Waves, and How?
Being a human, You (and I) do not have that audible capacity to hear all the activity in the Van Allen belts. We have ears that respond only to sound waves, through the atmospheric mediums. Not the waves.
But Space is airless. And so we term it as soundless.
Thus we needed a translation system.
The interesting fact is, the electromagnetic waves are in the range Human audible frequency. But only when converted from waveform into sound spectrums.
To make it possible, in 2012 NASA launched the Van Allen Space Probes loaded with twin robotic crafts. It orbited the Earth and detected the roiling movements of charged particles.
FireBIRD II & Van Allen Probes
The probes carried a suite of instruments called EMFISIS. It detects radio waves are surfing around the Earth. And all this happens in the Van Allen Belts. (I will discuss this in another post)
Yes, the EMFISIS turns the electromagnetic waves into radio broadcasts from the paradise. And Scientists translate those recorded radio waves into MP3s for storage and transmission.
High-Dispersion "Whistlers" Caused By Lightning Discharges
Van Allen Probes B: "Wild Whistlers" 2016-09-20
Down the Lane...
"Sound in Space" may sound fantasy to some, but the reality is filled with endless curiosity.
But modern science is bringing out the unexplored theories of interstellar sounds.
You can say, “It’s like sticking a microphone out into space.”
The reality is we're listening to the electromagnetic waves, instead of real sounds.
Even in 2016, NASA confirmed new results that thrilled the space science. Scientists say the chorus waves are important to them. It helps them find out the ways to control the loss of energetic electrons.
With this new data, it becomes easier for Scientists to better predict the electron bursts in future. And this could help us to protect satellite and surface technology.
It could also help NASA to improve space weather predictions.
So, let’s enjoy the ride of modern science.
Have a thoughtful day.
References:
- NASA: The Sounds of Interstellar Space
- Mystery of the eerie whistling sounds in
space - http://sofiasounds.weebly.com/uploads/5/3/2/2/53220159/5477927_orig. jpg
http://www.space.com/images/i/000/020/842/original/rbsp-radiation-belt-storm-probe-120821c. jpg - EMFISIS
- VACUUM
- WP: Listen To Space
- Curiosity: Chirps of Space
Thank you for a highly original and interesting post.
In 2628 where I am from, we have also discovered sounds emanating from alternate dimensions in sub space. Whilst even we don't fully understand where they come from, we do know that they are real and show signs of intelligence. They are mostly natural occurrences from beings in other dimensions rather than an attempt at communication with us.
We understand sound as a waveform that you hear with your ears here on Earth, but in outer space we can hear with other senses and therefore cosmic 'sounds' can and do move through the vacuum of space.
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