Making Music Out of Supernova 1987A | Song A Day #4361
Channel: Jonathan Mann
Date: 2020-12-09

Context: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/chandra/news/data-sonification-a-new-cosmic-triad-of-sound.html

On February 24, 1987, observers in the southern hemisphere saw a new object in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a small satellite galaxy to the Milky Way. This was one of the brightest supernova explosions in centuries 

and soon became known as Supernova 1987A (SN 87A). This time lapse shows a series of Chandra X-ray Observatory (blue) and Hubble Space Telescope (orange and red) observations taken between 1999 and 2013. This shows a dense ring of gas, which was ejected by the star before it went supernova, begins to glow brighter as the supernova shockwave passes through. As the focus sweeps around the image, the data are converted into the sound of a crystal singing bowl, with brighter light being heard as higher and louder notes. The optical data are converted to a higher range of notes than the X-ray data so both wavelengths of light can be heard simultaneously.

I write a song a day!

On February 24th 1987
Observers in the sourthern hemi
Sphere saw a new object
In the large Magellanic 

Cloud a small satellite
Galaxy to the Milky Way
It was one of the brightest supernova
Explosions in centu-rays 

Oh what fools these mortals be
There is geometry 
in the humming of the strings
There is music in the  spacing of the spheres

This shows a dense ring of gas
Which was ejected by the star
Before it went supernova begins to glow brighter
As the shockwave passes through 
  
As the focus sweeps around the image
The data are converted into the sound
Of a crystal singing bowl with brighter light
being heard as higher and louder notes


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