14 DAY TRIAL // Officials with the American space agency say that the general public can now hear what solar flares sound like in space. This is made possible by an instrument on the NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), a spacecraft that has been orbiting Earth's natural satellite since June 23, 2009.
The Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation (CRaTER) instrument on LRO was originally developed for characterizing environmental radiations around the Moon. However, thanks to a new sonification program, experts at NASA are now using it to generate musical sounds.
These sounds are based on solar radiation activity, and change depending on how intense that activity becomes. Simple detections are played in major scales, but the tones become increasingly minor as more and more radiations are released, such as during solar flares and coronal mass ejections.
“Our minds love music, so this offers a pleasurable way to interface with the data. It also provides accessibility for people with visual impairments,” says University of New Hampshire expert Marty Quinn, who led the CRaTER sonification project, quoted by NPR.
The sounds can be accessed via iPhone, Android, and from a regular desktop. On other platforms, you can install ShoutCast, and search for CRaTER radio.