Earth's Song

  • Released Tuesday, November 27th, 2012
  • Updated Wednesday, May 3rd, 2023 at 1:52PM
  • ID: 11073

Suspended in the dark cosmos, Earth sings to itself in a high-pitched chorus of chirps and beeps. This song is a product of very low frequency radio waves generated by lightning strikes or excited electrons zipping through the Van Allen Belts, two vast swaths of radiation surrounding Earth. While ham radio operators have long detected this eerie planetary sound using inexpensive receivers, the recent recording by specially designed antennas on NASA's twin Van Allen Probes is one of the clearest examples ever captured. But could Earth's chorus be a siren song? The probes are now on a quest to find out whether these radio waves might be powering up otherwise harmless electrons in the Van Allen Belts, turning them into "killer electrons" capable of damaging satellites and astronauts. Watch the videos to hear and learn more about this rare recording.

In space, no one can hear you scream. So how did two NASA probes record Earth singing?

In space, no one can hear you scream. So how did two NASA probes record Earth singing?

Listen to the song captured by NASA's twin Van Allen Probes on Sep. 5, 2012.

Learn how the Van Allen Probes (originally named the Radiation Belt Storm Probes) are giving scientists new insight into Earth's chorus.

The Van Allen Belts are two donut-shaped regions of radiation that surround Earth and can pose a hazard to satellites.

The Van Allen Belts are two donut-shaped regions of radiation that surround Earth and can pose a hazard to satellites.

The EMFISIS antennas on the Van Allen Probes captured Earth's chorus in CD-quality sound.

The EMFISIS antennas on the Van Allen Probes captured Earth's chorus in CD-quality sound.

For More Information

See Science@NASA

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Credits

Please give credit for this item to:
Science@NASA and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Van Allen Belts image courtesy of NASA/T. Benesch and J. Carns