Data Sonification: NGC 6872 (Composite)

The large spiral galaxy called NGC 6872 has two elongated arms stretching to the upper right and lower left. Just to the upper left of NGC 6872 appears another smaller spiral galaxy. These two galaxies, each of which likely has a supermassive black hole at the center, are being drawn toward one another. X-rays from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, represented in sound by a wind-like sound, show multimillion-degree gas that permeates the galaxies. Meanwhile Hubble Space Telescope data reveal the galaxy’s spiral arms and background stars as low drone sounds and soft plucks and cymbals.

Sonification Credit: NASA/CXC/SAO/K.Arcand, SYSTEM Sounds (M. Russo, A. Santaguida)

For more information, visit: https://chandra.si.edu/photo/2024/sonify9/