Black holes are terrifying stellar objects. Not only do they feed off the energy of stars, but there is just so much we don’t know about them. In fact, we’ve only recently even captured our first image of a black hole. Now, though, scientists at NASA have allowed us to check off yet another question about these celestial objects: What does a black hole sound like?
The misconception that there is no sound in space originates because most space is a ~vacuum, providing no way for sound waves to travel. A galaxy cluster has so much gas that we’ve picked up actual sound. Here it’s amplified, and mixed with other data, to hear a black hole! pic.twitter.com/RobcZs7F9e
— NASA Exoplanets (@NASAExoplanets) August 21, 2022
The idea of a celestial object that quite literally bends time-space around it has always been terrifying. As if to add to that terrifying nature, though, NASA had to go and record sound waves from a black hole. It’s a fascinating look into the sound of black holes, which is about as scary as you would expect.
But sound cannot travel through space.
Actually, it’s not true, since most space is empty. However, as NASA notes in its tweet revealing the audio clip, galaxy clusters are filled with tons of gas and stellar material. As a result, sound waves can travel through the gases. These sound waves allow us to hear what a black hole sounds like.
This recording shows what a blackhole sounds like. It was made using sound waves NASA captured and data collected by NASA. You can hear the black hole in this clip from Perseus. This galaxy cluster was observed by NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory earlier this year.
NASA previously released audio from the black hole at the center of our galaxy back in May. Shortly before that, it also released the first photo of our black hole. Because black holes bend light around them, taking photos has always been difficult. However, new techniques have made it possible to see and hear what black holes sound and look like.
It is unclear exactly what other noises we might hear in this recording. We now know what the ominous sound of black holes is. It’s not something I want to hear any more.
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