Hubble image of the Helix Nebula converted to sound. Colour is mapped to pitch (red=low, blue=high) and brightness controls volume. Red indicates the presence of hydrogen and nitrogen and blue indicates oxygen. Nebulae like this are formed when a low mass star sheds some of its outer material near the end of its life (red giant stage). The Helix Nebula, or Eye of Sauron, is 655 light years away and 3 light years across. It appears half the size of the full moon (huge!) and Hubble images were combined with wide field images from NOAO’s Mosaic Camera to make this image.

Video/sonification by SYSTEM Sounds (system-sounds.com)
Image by NASA, NOAO, ESA, the Hubble Helix Nebula Team, M. Meixner (STScI), and T.A. Rector (NRAO).

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