NASA has discovered chirping sounds that sound like birds emanating from space, and the source is something straight out of a sci-fi movie.
Incredible sounds blast through Earth's atmosphere from 62,000 miles away.
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Although most people would use a birdwatching binocular after hearing the calls, NASA researchers searched for the source in unexplored intergalactic regions.
After investigating the noise, they learned that the sounds come from cosmic waves that undulate at the same frequency as human hearing.
According to Allison Gaines, a space physicist at the University of Iowa who was not involved in the work, this is a startling discovery that raises questions about the physics of the region.
These chirps, known as chorus waves, have been detected on Antarctic radio antennas and spacecraft since the 1960s.
The noise from Earth's radiation belts was heard by its twin spacecraft, NASA's Van Allen Probes, and is much closer to the new discovery.
The last recorded sighting was in 2015 when NASA's multi-band magnetospheric satellites were launched to explore the Sun and Earth's magnetic fields.
Chorus waves can cause harmful radiation to humans and satellites, but the origin of these waves and how they change is a matter of great debate.
This phenomenon has been observed near other planets such as Jupiter and Saturn.
These waves are so powerful that they can produce high-energy electrons capable of encrypting satellite communications.
“It is one of the strongest and most important waves in space,” study author Zhengming Liu of Beihand University told The Associated Press.
Currently, most scientists believe that chorus waves form as a type of interaction with the Earth's magnetic field.
However, these newly discovered tweets were located in a region where the field extends, leaving scientists shocked.
“It's very captivating and very compelling,” Gaines said.
“We definitely need to find more of these events.”
Nuclear space travel – how does it work?
Here's what you need to know…
- A nuclear rocket is a popular concept for space travel
- The most common design is the thermonuclear missile
- This involves taking a liquid such as liquid hydrogen
- It will then be heated to a very high temperature in a nuclear reactor
- It will expand through the rocket nozzle, creating thrust
- This propulsion would be able to propel an object (such as a spaceship) through space
- Although design and testing have been conducted, no thermonuclear missiles have been launched to date
- However, NASA and Russia are still interested in this technology
Full speed forward
NASA also recently provided an update on the Parker spacecraft's historic mission toward the sun.
The daring spacecraft has flown just 3.8 million miles from the sun's surface, the closest in history.
As it crawled toward the pyrotechnic star, Parker withstood temperatures of up to 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit and moved at speeds of up to 430,000 miles per hour.
The vehicle has been preparing for the mission since 2018, and NASA was pleased to announce its success.
The group said they will now be able to better understand how materials in the Sun are heated, investigate the origin of the solar wind, and discover how energetic particles are accelerated to the speed of light.
The mission is scheduled to be sent in September 2025.
What is the International Space Station?
Here's what you need to know about the International Space Station…
- The International Space Station, often shortened to ISS, is a large spacecraft that orbits Earth and houses astronauts who ascend there to complete scientific missions.
- Many countries have worked together to build it and are working together to use it
- It is made up of several pieces, which astronauts had to send individually on rockets and put together between 1998 and 2000.
- Since 2000, people have been living on the International Space Station
- NASA uses the station to learn how to live and work in space
- It is located approximately 250 miles above Earth and orbits the planet just like a satellite
- Living inside the International Space Station is said to be like living inside a large house with five bedrooms, two bathrooms, a gym, lots of science labs and a large window to view Earth.
