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Black holes are some of the strangest objects
in the universe.

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They are incredibly massive, dark, difficult
to observe, and have a gravitational pull

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so powerful that they can distort both space
and time.

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But did you know they are also incredibly
loud?

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It is commonly believed that there's no sound
in space, but that's not actually true.

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This misconception originated because much
of space is a vacuum, without enough matter

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to transmit sound waves.

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In the center of a galaxy cluster, however,
there is enough gas and other material that

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it is possible for scientists to reconstruct
sound information.

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If you're wondering what a black hole could
be doing that might make a sound, scientists

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say that black holes can create pressure waves
which cause ripples in the gas around them.

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These vibrations were translated into sounds.

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Let's listen to the audio released by NASA.

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What you're hearing is not an actual sound
recording.

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For one thing, the sound waves created by
a black hole are too deep for human ears to

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hear, about 57 octaves too low.

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The signals were adjusted upwards, between
144 and 288 quadrillion times higher than

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their original frequency.

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This sound was reconstructed from electromagnetic
data picked up from the Perseus Galaxy Cluster,

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about 240 million light years away.

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Translated into sound, it produces a deep
creaking moan.

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Let's listen to another black hole, Messier
87.

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This sound is constructed from X-rays, radio
waves, and light layered together.

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NASA began translating this data into sound
in 2020, and released the first sonification

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of a black hole in August of 2022.

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By transforming existing data into a new format,
these scientists have allowed us to experience

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a new aspect of our universe.