NASA shares music from deep space nebula using data sonification

If you’ve ever wondered what a nebula in deep space might sound like, NASA has come forward to give people an idea, sharing a musical representation of the Butterfly Nebula.

Using data sonification, the US space agency has shared an interpretation of nebula’s sound via Instagram, as it moves across space at a speed of more than 966,000kmph. Data sonification involves coverting data to sound.

In NASA’s clip, each wavelength of light is paired with a different group of instruments to create a “symphony of soothing sounds,” the US space agency said. The “wings” of the nebula are linked to strings and synthetic tones, while the stars are represented by a digital harp.

While the sound in NASA’s clip may not replicate exactly what it would be like in space, it is a human reimagining created in order to better understand deep space through music.

The Butterfly Nebula, which is also known as NGC 6302, is located around 2,500 to 3,800 light years away from Earth, in the Scorpius constellation of the Milky Way galaxy.

Listen to NASA’s clip below.