ann2208 — Announcement

James Webb Space Telescope Sonifications

15 December 2023

Explore some of the first full-colour infrared images and data from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope — by listening. Enter the complex soundscape of the Cosmic Cliffs in the Carina Nebula, explore the contrasting tones of two images that depict the Southern Ring Nebula, and identify the individual data points in a transmission spectrum of hot gas-giant exoplanet WASP-96 b.

These audio tracks specifically support blind and low-vision listeners, but are designed to be captivating to anyone who tunes in. The tracks are not actual sounds recorded in space. Instead, musicians mapped Webb’s data into sound, carefully composing music to accurately represent details the team would like listeners to focus on. In a way, these sonifications are like modern dance or abstract painting: they convert Webb’s images and data to a new medium to engage and inspire listeners.