Cosmic Cliffs in the Carina Nebula Sonification

New sonifications map a near-infrared image of the Cosmic Cliffs in the Carina Nebula, captured by NASA’s JWST, to a symphony of sounds. Musicians assigned unique notes to the semi-transparent, gauzy regions and very dense areas of gas and dust in the nebula, culminating in a buzzing soundscape.

The sonification scans the image from left to right. The new sounds were also adapted to a video, allowing sighted viewers to watch as a vertical line moves across the frame.

The soundtrack is vibrant and full, representing the detail in this gigantic, gaseous cavity that has the appearance of a mountain range. The Carina Nebula is a large cloud of gas and dust where stars are forming or have already formed.

The gas and dust in the top half of the image are represented in blue hues and windy, drone-like sounds. The bottom half of the image, represented in ruddy shades of orange and red, has a clearer, more melodic composition.

Brighter light in the image is louder. The vertical position of light also dictates the frequency of sound. For example, bright light near the top of the image sounds loud and high, but bright light near the middle is loud and lower pitched. Dimmer, dust-obscured areas that appear lower in the image are represented by lower frequencies and clearer, undistorted notes.

The separate tracks below more easily pick out the meandering melodic line that represents the nebula’s “mountain range” as it rises and falls in the image, through the center of the frame, from left to right. This jagged line between denser and thinner areas of gas and dust is the arc of the sonification’s melody. All stars are represented by a combination of pitches and processed piano notes, but the brightest stars with longer diffraction spikes also carry crashes and clangs from cymbals.

Several files appear below for download: The first represents the entire image. The second only includes sounds from the top portion of the image, and the third file only includes sounds from the bottom half of the image. Listen to the second and third files to discern the “mountain top” feature in the image. A fourth file only plays the notes that represent stars. Listen to all of the tracks for a more complex understanding of how sounds were adapted to Webb’s image of the Cosmic Cliffs.

This sonification does not represent sounds recorded in space. Two musicians mapped the telescope’s data to sound, carefully composing music to accurately represent details the team would like listeners to focus on. In a way, this sonification is like modern dance or an impressionist painting – it converts Webb’s image to a new medium to engage and inspire listeners.

Sonification Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, and Kim Arcand (CXC/SAO), Matt Russo & Andrew Santaguida (SYSTEM Sounds), Quyen Hart (STScI), Claire Blome (STScI), and Christine Malec (consultant); Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI

[Infamous_Griefer]

Carina Nebula Sound: 😇
Helix Nebula Sound: 💀

[Emerald_Dagamer]

Carina nebula: heaven like sound
Helix nebula:screaming of a woman like being tortured in Hell

[execute]

it sounds like exactly how you wanted it to sound

[ehetenandayo]

Now I know that Heaven is in Carina Nebula and Hell is in Helix Nebula

[Pinefamz]

Carina is my favorite track on the Universe OST

[HomeBoyBas]

Carina sounds like heaven and water raining

[Isol]

this is way more relaxing, not horrifying unlike the helix nebula

[marykaylawless]

I love the Cosmic Cliffs. I would love the sound on my a70 smartphone. I already have the picture on the phone

[ms__siren]

It feels like heaven, I want to cry hearing it❤❤

[Rayquaza_x]

Carina nebula sound:🥰❤
Helix nebula sound:💀💀

[MiguelPart]

How it looks like:😇
How it sounds like:😇

[Idunno]

This should be in the back rooms chilling and vibing level theme

[mayorjody]

0:01 knights ready to go
0:02 king goes to sleep
0:03 opposite team ready to kill
0:04 knights pull out their water swords
0:05 opposite team pulls out their fire swords
0:06 the queen drinks a warm coffee
0:07 the queen said "IT'S TOO HOT!!!!"
0:08 the rook shoots the left side of the opposite team
0:09 the other rook shoots the right side of the opposite team
0:10 the opposite team's weakest knight surrenders
0:11 the opposite team is almost destroyed
0:12 the king wakes up
0:13 the queen wants a cold milk
0:14 the queen finally gets the cold milk
0:15 the queen asks if it's make from a male cow
0:16 the king says "Its made from a girl cow"
0:17 the queen drinks the milk
0:18 the queen is too energized
0:19 the queen is to fast that is flys through the bottom walls of the opposite team
0:20 the opposite team dies
0:21 the ending credits of the movie
0:22 the outro
0:23 there's a scene where the queen dies of too much energy
0:24 the scene ends. but you still want to rewatch it
0:01 ok there

[Toothlesse]

Carina nebula and bubble nebula sound: ur in heaven

Helix nebula sound: ur in h3ll

[mimounbl]

Carina nebula: im made from nebula and make super music yes
Helix nebula: bro everyone says that my sound is from hell that they dont talk with the cosmic reef nebula :c

[cesarrodriguez]

Carina nebula: 😇
Southern Ring: 🌱🧟
Helix: 💀👁️

[zzangteeny]

Carina nebula:😊😊😌😌😇😇
Helix nebula: ...

[AntiasXI]

0:15 0:22 The sound of my galaxy KGN 1331 is heard as an Antudian melodic vibration

[JoseGarcia-vtef]

Carina Nebula sound Beautiful right? Well.. there’s is a another sound the bubble nebula that’s beautiful also you might wanna check that out

[pumpkin.lantern.mp]

So this is where Aether is. It's in Cosmic Cliffs.