Introduction

Sounds from Earth

Space is full of radio waves, and those waves, just like the ones bouncing through the Earth’s atmosphere, can be converted into audible sounds.

Sounds from Earth

The recording starts with the patter of a summer squall. Later, a drifting tone like that of a not-quite-tuned-in radio station rises and for a while drowns out the patter.

These are the sounds encountered by NASA’s Cassini spacecraft as it dove through the gap between Saturn and its innermost ring on April 26, the first of 22 such encounters before it will plunge into Saturn’s atmosphere in September. What Cassini did not detect were many of the collisions of dust particles hitting the spacecraft as it passed through the plane of the rings. “You can hear a couple of clicks,” said William S. Kurth, a research scientist at the University of Iowa who is the principal investigator for Cassini’s radio and plasma science instrument.

Recording dust hits

Our officeThe few dust hits that were recorded sounded like the small pops caused by dust on a LP record, he said. What he had expected was something more like the din of “driving through Iowa in a hailstorm,” Dr. Kurth said.

Since Cassini had not passed through this region before, scientists and engineers did not know for certain what it would encounter. Cassini would be traveling at more than 70,000 miles per hour as it passed within 2,000 miles of the cloud tops, and a chance hit with a sand grain could be trouble.

The analysis indicated that the chances of such a collision were slim, but still risky enough that mission managers did not send Cassini here until the mission’s final months. As a better-safe-than-sorry precaution, the spacecraft was pointed with its big radio dish facing forward, like a shield.

Not only was there nothing catastrophic, there was hardly anything at all.

The few clicking sounds were generated by dust the size of cigarette smoke particles about a micron, or one-25,000th of an inch, in diameter. To be clear: Cassini did not actually hear any sounds. It is, after all, flying through space where there is no air and thus no vibrating air molecules to convey sound waves. But space is full of radio waves, recorded by Dr. Kurth’s instrument, and those waves, just like the ones bouncing through the Earth’s atmosphere to broadcast the songs of Bruno Mars, Beyoncé and Taylor Swift, can be converted into audible sounds.

Bottom line

Dr. Kurth said the background patter was likely oscillations of charged particles in the upper part of Saturn’s ionosphere where atoms are broken apart by solar and cosmic radiation. The louder tones were almost certainly “whistler mode emissions” when the charged particles oscillate in unison.

71 comments on “Sounds from Earth”

  1. Just wanted to say, I’ve been using tr88link without issue. Easy to navigate. Worth a look if you’re in the market, that’s my two cents. Head over to tr88link and see for yourself.

  5. Yo, 9rbetapp? I gave it a whirl last week. Graphics are clean, and the mobile experience is solid. No lag or glitches, which is a win in my book. Give it a shot: 9rbetapp

  54. Keowin’s been buzzing around, heard good things from a mate. Planning on giving it a whirl this weekend. Heard their bonuses are pretty sweet! I’ll let you know how it goes. Check them out here: keowin

  56. Yo, aeum888, not bad, not bad. The live dealer games were actually pretty fun, though lagged a bit on my phone. Deposits were quick and easy, which is always a plus. Worth a look if you’re into the live stuff: aeum888

  57. Alright, listen up! Been bouncing around different sites, but KUBETVINA’s got that real edge. The vibes are great, and the payouts are on point. Check out kubetvina for some real fun!

  59. Just wanted to share – I’ve had some awesome wins on ZALV888! The bonuses are generous, and the customer support is super helpful. Highly recommend trying zalv888 if you’re after some good wins!

  62. PH363 Online Casino: Top PH363 Slot, Easy Login & Register. Get the PH363 App Download for Philippines Players. Experience the ultimate gaming at PH363 Online Casino! Enjoy top-rated PH363 slot games with a seamless PH363 login and fast PH363 register process. Get the official PH363 app download for Philippines players and start winning today! visit: ph363

  67. There’s a story that BRG once tried to clone his work ethic, but the lab report came back: “Not feasible, this appears to be a learned superpower.”

  68. [2213]pesoBet Online Casino Philippines: The Best Online Gambling Site for Real Money Slots, Sports Betting, and Fast GCash Login. Experience pesoBet online casino Philippines, the best online gambling site for real money online slots and sports betting PH. Fast pesoBet GCash casino login! visit: pesoBet

  69. Tried my luck with zwwbet.net the other day and it was pretty decent! Nothing too flashy, but a solid, reliable place to place some bets. Signup was easy and the selection of sports and games is impressive. See for yourself at zwwbet!

  70. Been browsing around for online betting and stumbled into bet148.info. Its a clean and simple layout with decent odds. Had a fun time, definitely one to watch. You might want to check out bet148 for yourself and let me know what you think.

  71. Hey there, just dropped by 212betnet and thought it was pretty neat. Different promotions and lots of events to bet on! Easy to use as well. I think that 212bet is on the right track for future development in my book. See for yourself over here: 212betnet

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.