The Audible Universe

Abstract

Incredible images of astrophysical objects in printed materials and in digital form are used by professional astronomers for research and by the general public for outreach and educational purposes. However, professional astronomers and the general public alike are blind to nearly all astronomical phenomena without technological and computational aids to produce the images that we are now used to “seeing”.
Challenging the idea that we should always use visualisations of astronomical data (i.e., graphs or images), there has been an emerging research interest over the past decade in converting astronomical data and phenomena into sound ("sonification"). Motivation for this includes the potential to enhance scientific discovery within complex datasets, by utilising the inherent multi-dimensionality of sound and the ability of our hearing to filter signals from noise. Other motivations include creating engaging multi-sensory resources, for education and public engagement, and making astronomy more accessible to people who are blind or have low vision, promoting their participation in science and related careers.
I will review the current status of the field of sonification in astronomy, and describe potential benefits of sound in the context of research, outreach, and education. I will also discuss current limitations and challenges of the approaches taken and suggest future directions to help realise the full potential of sound-based techniques when applied within the astronomy community.

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