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The Sound of a Black Hole

Posted by michael on from the subwoofer dept.

Snags writes "Astronomers have used the Chandra X-ray Observatory to observe the deepest, lowest-frequency sound waves ever observed. By my calculations, the 'B-Flat 57 octaves below middle-C' has a period of 9.8 million years. Despite arguments that explosions in space movies should be silent, it is legitimate to call these sound waves because at that frequency, particles of space dust can 'see' each other through gravity. These notes are 'over a million billion times deeper than the limits of human hearing', so to call it infra-sound would be a bit of an understatement."

5 of 78 comments (clear)

  1. That explains! by orkysoft · · Score: 5, Funny

    Infrasound! Now that explains why many people have this irrational fear of black holes! :-)

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    I suffer from attention surplus disorder.
  2. GSS by falsification · · Score: 5, Funny
    B-Flat 57 octaves below middle-C

    AKA "a giant sucking sound."

  3. No matter. by bobdotorg · · Score: 4, Funny

    My extreme audiophile friend now has to replace his whole system to capture the experience of these new sounds.

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    __ Someday, but not this morning, I'll finally learn to use the preview button.
  4. Concert by Molina+the+Bofh · · Score: 4, Funny

    I wouldn't buy tickets to a music-playing blackhole concert. They suck.

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    Roses are #FF0000, Violets are #0000FF, find / -name '*base*' |xargs chown -R us && mv zig greatjustice
    1. Re:Concert by danratherfan · · Score: 4, Funny

      I don't know. I liked their one and only album "Songs from the Singularity".