Mixing with the Stars

The STEREO mission has just blasted off from Cape Canaveral and will soon be in orbit around the Sun. It will collect data and make the first 3D movies of the violent solar eruptions that trigger magnetic storms on Earth.

But the aesthetic attractions of our Sun haven’t been lost on the STEREO scientists. They’ve grabbed the opportunity to explore their creative side by developing a computer program that can transform the Sun’s activity into music. And they’re not the only ones fusing scientific information with artistic interpretation…

Join our experts to find out how space and the stars are inspiring scientists, musicians and artists alike. How can science and art interact? What are solar flares and how can they make music? How do we create images of the Sun? What is the sound of the stars?

Come and watch a ‘sound film’ of solar flares, chat to musicians about sampling star ‘songs’ and find out how artists are mixing stardust with human thought. Have a go at mixing your own tracks with the new STEREO software and learn more about the science behind it.

Speakers

Chris Davis, physicist, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
Jade Hamilton, musician in residence, Royal Observatory
Don Kurtz, astrophysicist, University of Central Lancashire
Liliane Lijn, sculpture and installation artist
Semiconductor, sound film artists

Facilitator:
Kat Nilsson, Dana Centre