Thursday 21 January 2010

Ethereal and haunting

Software engineer Jim Bumgardner, a visualization specialist, has created a piece which transforms the daily movement of the stars into restful, compelling music. Using satellite data the positions of stars in northern hemisphere sky is slowly rotated about Polaris (the north star). As each star crosses a line through the axis it emits a note dependant on the star's colour and brightness. The result is beautiful, wind-chime-like and quite absorbing.

Visit The Wheel of Stars.

Music of the Spheres? Maybe not.
The beginning of Star Trek? Definitely.

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Universe Today has an interview with Jim Bumgardner.

4 comments:

Duncanr said...

beautiful - very tranquil

Andy Holroyd said...

It's lovely to play in the background when you're reading or whatever.

Duncanr said...

There's a 'trance-like' almost hypnotic quality to it

Andy Holroyd said...

I may try it one bedtime rather than my usual audiobooks.