Scale created from the relative distances of the planets from the sun, normalized to fall within the octave and played from high to low:
Earth - Venus - Mercury - Mars - Jupiter - Saturn - Uranus - Neptune - Pluto
IMAGE SOURCE: Thomas Stanley, The History of Philosophy (1655-1661)
DATA SOURCE: National Space Science Data Center, NASA: nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov

Scale based on the planets

Pitch of the planet Jupiter, within a scale based on the planets' relative distances from the sun
IMAGE SOURCE: hubblesite.org
DATA SOURCE: National Space Science Data Center, NASA: nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov

Jupiter pitch

"Windchime sonification" based on the spectrum of the whirlpool galaxy in the constellation Canes Venatici (NGC5194)
IMAGE SOURCE: NASA and European Space Agency
DATE SOURCE: NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database https://ned.ipac.caltech.edu/

Sonification of spectra of galaxy NGC 5194

"Woodwind sonification" of the Sombrero Galaxy in the constellation Virgo (NGC4594)
IMAGE SOURCE: NASA, European Space Agency, Hubble Heritage Team
DATA SOURCE: NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database https://ned.ipac.caltech.edu/

Sonification of the Sombrero Galaxy

This sonification traces one arc on the l-nu plot, which shows the structure of the sun's vibrational nodes.
IMAGE SOURCE: http://www.noao.edu/education/ighelio/solar_music.html
DATA SOURCE: Global Oscillation Network Group http://gong.nso.edu

Sonification of arc from plot of solar vibrational nodes

This sonification creates a melody based on simulations of the gravitational waves that would result from the merger of two black holes.
IMAGE SOURCE: Caltech http://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2016/ligo-and-gravitational-waves-discovery-of-the-century/
DATA SOURCE: Scott Hughes, MIT

Sonification of gravitational waves

This sonification is based on the proton density and temperature of the solar winds, which are the source of the aurora borealis.
IMAGE SOURCE: NASA/SDO/AFP/Getty - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/picture-galleries/9035636/The-Aurora-Borealis-or-Northern-Lights-in-Britain.html?image=7
DATA SOURCE: Polar Wind Geotail, Goddard Space Flight Center http://pwg.gsfc.nasa.gov/windnrt/archive/index.html

Sonification of aurora borealis

Sonification created from the spectrum of the Crab Nebula.
IMAGE SOURCE: www.nasa.gov
DATA SOURCE: Berkeley Center for Cosmological Physics

Sonification of Crab Nebula spectrum

Pitch of the planet Mars, within a scale based on the planets' relative distances from the sun
IMAGE SOURCE: hubblesite.org
DATA SOURCE: National Space Science Data Center, NASA: nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov


Mars pitch

Pitch of the planet Neptune, within a scale based on the planets' relative distances from the sun
IMAGE SOURCE: hubblesite.org
DATA SOURCE: National Space Science Data Center, NASA: nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov


Neptune pitch

Pitch of the dwarf planet Pluto, within a scale based on the planets' relative distances from the sun
IMAGE SOURCE: hubblesite.org
DATA SOURCE: National Space Science Data Center, NASA: nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov


Pluto pitch

Mickey Hart is best known for his nearly three decades as an integral part of an extraordinary expedition into the soul and spirit of music, disguised as the rock and roll band the Grateful Dead. As half of the percussion tandem known as the Rhythm Devils, Mickey and Bill Kreutzmann transcended the conventions of rock drumming. Their extended polyrhythmic excursions were highlights of Grateful Dead shows, introducing the band's audience to an ever-growing arsenal of percussion instruments from around the world. Exposure to these exotic sounds fueled Mickey's desire to learn about the various cultures that produced them.

His tireless study of the world's music led Mickey to many great teachers and collaborators, including his partners in Planet Drum. Planet Drum's self-titled album not only hit #1 on the Billboard World Music Chart, remaining there for 26 weeks, it also received the Grammy for Best World Music Album in 1991-- the first Grammy ever awarded in this category. Planet Drum is one of twenty-nine recordings released on Mickey's the WORLD series on Rykodisc. The WORLD offers a wide variety of music from virtually every corner of the globe with releases like Voices of the Rainforest from Papua New Guinea and Living Art, Sounding Spirit: The Bali Sessions. In 2002, Mickey established The Endangered Music Fund to return royalty payments from many of these recordings to the indigenous people that produced them, and to further the preservation of sounds and music from around the globe.  

Mickey's experiences have paved the way for unique opportunities beyond the music industry. He composed a major drum production performed by an assembly of 100 percussionists for the opening ceremony of the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games. Additionally, Mickey has composed scores, soundtracks and themes for movies and television including Apocalypse Now, Gang Related, Hearts of Darkness, The Twilight Zone, the 1987 score to The AmericaÍs Cup: The Walter Cronkite Report, Vietnam: A Television History, and The Next Step. In 1994 Mickey was inducted with The Grateful Dead into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Mickey has written four books documenting his lifelong fascination with the history and mythology of music. These include Drumming at the Edge of Magic, Planet Drum, Spirit into Sound: The Magic of Music, and Songcatchers: In Search of the WorldÍs Music.

Long a social activist, Mickey appeared in August, 1991 before the U.S. Senate Committee on Aging, speaking on the healing value of drumming and rhythm on afflictions associated with aging. Since joining the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function at Beth Abraham Hospital in 2000, Mickey is continuing his investigation into the connection between healing and rhythm, and the neural bases of rhythm.

In 1999, Mickey was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress where he heads the sub-committee on the digitization and preservation of the Center's vast collections. In October of 2000, the Saybrook Graduate School and Research Center conferred an honorary doctorate of humane letters upon Mickey for his work in advancing the preservation of aural archives.

Scale based on the planets

Mickey Hart

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