The Earth’s magnetic field may be heard in an eerie, crackling audio clip that the European Space Agency (ESA) has released. We cannot really see the magnetic field, but it is a dynamic and intricate bubble that protects us from cosmic radiation and charged particles carried by strong winds (known as solar flares) emanating from the Sun.
According to ESA, scientists from the Technical University of Denmark transformed magnetic signals—measured by the space agency’s Swarm satellite mission, which is tasked with studying the magnetic field—to sound. They claim that the outcomes are somewhat alarming.
Five minutes of weird creaks, crackles, and deep breathing can be heard in the audio.
The team used information from the ESA’s Swarm satellites, as well as information from other sources, and used these magnetic signals to manipulate and control a sonic representation of the core field, according to musician and project supporter Klaus Nielsen from the Technical University of Denmark. According to the ESA’s official website, the project “has unquestionably been a satisfying exercise in bringing art and science together.”
“We have set it up so that each speaker represents a different location on Earth and demonstrates how our magnetic field has fluctuated over the last 100,000 years,” he added. “We have gained access to a very interesting sound system consisting of over 30 loudspeakers dug into the ground at the Solbjerg Square in Copenhagen.
Since the discovery was made public on October 24, the tape has been played three times daily on the Solbjerg Square loudspeakers in Copenhagen, Denmark, according to ESA.
