Radio Cube

A Radio Data Cube from NGC4501 (M88)

The red square indicates the region from which Radio data was taken and transformed as below.

Take a Radio Spectral Cube and turn it into sound. The cube is like an image, but instead of each pixel being a single “colour”, it is actually a spectrum.

Selecting a pixel with the mouse takes that spectrum and transforms the radio frequencies into an audible range, creating a sound with that spectrum.

Similarly, the radio frequencies have been transformed into visible colours so you can see them, blue for “higher frequency” and red for “lower frequency”.

You can see and hear the structure of the spiral arms, even the discord in the middle where both are super-imposed.

Radio Cube player interface

Concept: Gavin Starks BSc (Astronomy) MMus (Computer-Music)
Implementation Idea: Aidan Keane BSc MSc PhD (Astronomy)
Sonification and Software: Andy Newsam BSc PhD (Astronomy)