WIREDGOV

According to the movie Alien, ‘in space, no-one can hear you scream’. This helped to perpetuate the popular opinion that there is no sound in space, just a noiseless vacuum.

But in fact, there is sound in space – and some very strange sounds at that. With support from STFC, Queen Mary University of London’s Space Sound Effects (SSFX) project challenged independent filmmakers from around the world to create short films incorporating a series of sounds recorded by satellites in space.

The resulting films have been combined into an anthology which is now available to watch for free online.

Scientists study these sounds from the space environment around Earth because of their potential effect on technology like power grids, GPS and even passenger airlines. The anthology also depicts some of the consequences caused by this space weather.

The SSFX project utilises data from the USA’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and has been also been supported by Queen Mary’s Centre for Public Engagement and the European Geosciences Union.

You can view the full film on YouTube. For more information, visit the Queen Mary University of London website.