NASA just released an audio recording of a black hole—those things in space that have so much gravitational force not even light can escape them—and, well... it's just not okay.
It's not okay.
The audio was collected from the Perseus galaxy cluster by astronomers, heavily amplified and then mixed with other data to create sound we humans can actually hear.
And good lord, it is absolutely terrifying.
Hear it below if you feel like never sleeping again.
\u201cThe misconception that there is no sound in space originates because most space is a ~vacuum, providing no way for sound waves to travel. A galaxy cluster has so much gas that we've picked up actual sound. Here it's amplified, and mixed with other data, to hear a black hole!\u201d— NASA Exoplanets (@NASA Exoplanets) 1661111880
Oh, okay, so space is composed of the disembodied souls of millions of years of the dead.
That explains where they went and why ghosts don't want to go there.
Terrifying though it may be, you must admit it's fascinating. In its tweet, NASA addressed the common misconception there is no sound in space, since there is no matter for sound waves to react with.
But as NASA revealed, it turns out that's not always true. The Perseus galaxy cluster is one of the exceptions.
It has so much hot gas content sound waves were able to travel and be recorded, just like when you've eaten too many beans.
Sorry, we just thought maybe a fart joke would help defuse how absolutely terrifying this recording is.
Anyway, the creepiness is unintentional, according to NASA, a result of the extreme amplification used to make the sound audible to human ears.
The sound emanating from the black hole—first discovered in 2003—is far too low for us to hear at 57 octaves below a middle C. So NASA resynthesized it to pitch it upward into our audible range, creating this horrifying but nonetheless fascinating bit of audio.
As you might guess, Twitter lost its collective mind over this audio track and a veritable galaxy of absurdity ensued.
\u201cnasa employee: oh hey u guys are back early \n\nastronaut: space's haunted\n\nnasa employee: what? \n\nastronaut: *loading a pistol and getting back on the rocket-ship* space's haunted\u201d— Tauriq Moosa (@Tauriq Moosa) 1661118124
\u201cScottish train announcements over the sound of a black hole\n\nhttps://t.co/L3ADL84sJn\u201d— Matt Eason (@Matt Eason) 1661162331
\u201cMe: It's late, I should probably go to bed\n\nAlso me: What if I pile a load of reverb on the NASA black hole audio and layer it with that recreated mummy voice \ud83e\udd14\ud83c\udf0c\u26b1\ufe0f\u201d— Alpha Chrome Yayo (@Alpha Chrome Yayo) 1661207878
\u201cI'm not religious, but I'm starting to think that those souls sent to Hell actually end up in a black hole.\n\nSound ON to be horrified\u201d— Paul Byrne (@Paul Byrne) 1661260386
\u201cnasa, on a pleasant august sunday evening: hey wanna hear what's surely the wailing of souls trapped inside a black hole since the beginning of human existence\u201d— ugh (@ugh) 1661137892
\u201cThis is what it sounds like inside a Pisces' mind\u201d— Co\u200a\u2013\u200aStar (@Co\u200a\u2013\u200aStar) 1661280260
\u201cTHE UNIVERSE IS MOANING AND NOT IN THE HOT AND SEXY WAY\u201d— John Scalzi (@John Scalzi) 1661188701
\u201cThis is utterly terrifying. If this was just ambience sfx made for use in film it wouldn't be as spooky as it is with the knowledge that this is REAL. This is what a gigantic, all-consuming demon from light years away sounds like.\u201d— Riamus (@Riamus) 1661222127
\u201cIt turns out, a black hole sounds like someone listened to whale calls, and was like "This, but evil"\u201d— Doc Wolverine, Medically Doctorated Dipshit (@Doc Wolverine, Medically Doctorated Dipshit) 1661137405
Interestingly, some Hindus posted the audio sounded a lot like "OM"—the sound of a sacred symbol meant to represent the collective sound of the universe in some Eastern religions.
\u201cEvery Hindu knows this sound: OM \ud83d\udd49 \n\n"... I am the sacred syllable Om in the Vedic mantras; I am the sound in ether..." Bhagavan Shri Krishna, Bhagavad Gita\u201d— Radharamn Das \u0930\u093e\u0927\u093e\u0930\u092e\u0923 \u0926\u093e\u0938 (@Radharamn Das \u0930\u093e\u0927\u093e\u0930\u092e\u0923 \u0926\u093e\u0938) 1661145632
\u201c\u0905\u0909\u092e(AUM)=\u0950\nThe fundamental sound of the oldest religion(Sanatan\ud83d\udea9) and language(sanskrit).\nAccording to the oldest indian scriptures(Vedas and puranas) the universe was created by the Supreme God SHIV with a holy sound AUM(\u0950).\n\u091c\u092f\u0924\u0941 \u0938\u0928\u093e\u0924\u0928\u0903\ud83e\udd18\ud83d\udea9\n\u0950 \u0928\u092e\u0903 \u0936\u093f\u0935\u093e\u092f\ud83c\udf19\ud83d\udea9\u201d— \u0917\u094c\u0930\u0935 \u0917\u0941\u0930\u094d\u091c\u0930 (@\u0917\u094c\u0930\u0935 \u0917\u0941\u0930\u094d\u091c\u0930) 1661275260
\u201cThis sounds very much like OM ;-)\u201d— Arun Krishnan \ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf3 (@Arun Krishnan \ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf3) 1661137390
One Twitter user was able to use different data to create a second version of the black hole's sound.
Their remix is every bit as fascinating, but much less terrifying.
You can hear it below.
\u201c@NASAExoplanets By amplifying, correcting and mixing with other data, the black hole sounds quite different. Here it is with alternative processing:\u201d— NASA Exoplanets (@NASA Exoplanets) 1661111880
Sorry.
We couldn't resist the Rick Roll.
But maybe now that you're laughing, you'll be able to go to sleep tonight.