Music of the Spheres: This Is What a Singing Comet Sounds Like

You’d think a comet would be silent, because it’s in space, but you—and the ESA’s scientists—would be surprised. Rosetta has detected a sub-human-hearing oscillation in the particles around Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko caused by its magnetic field. The best part? This comet “song” was completely unexpected by scientists, and they still don’t have a solid explanation for it. 1,000 bonus points to any musicians out there who work this into an actual song.

The exchange rate of bonus points for actual tangible things varies greatly. Check local listings.

(via ESA)

Previously in the Rosetta mission

• Here’s the itinerary for Philae landing on the comet starting today
• And an picture of Rossetta with the comet looming
• Or a 3D image of the comet, if you happen to have some 3D glasses on hand

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Dan Van Winkle

Dan Van Winkle (he) is an editor and manager who has been working in digital media since 2013, first at now-defunct Geekosystem (RIP), and then at The Mary Sue starting in 2014, specializing in gaming, science, and technology. Outside of his professional experience, he has been active in video game modding and development as a hobby for many years. He lives in North Carolina with Lisa Brown (his wife) and Liz Lemon (their dog), both of whom are the best, and you will regret challenging him at Smash Bros.

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