Eerie bird sounds are coming from space – and astronomers finally understand why
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Energy waves behind the chirping sound thought to play key role in formation of pulsating auroras. Astronomers have heard bursts of radiation from space sharing similarities with birdsong, shedding more light on the decades-old mysterious phenomenon that could affect satellites.
These strange waves of space radiation last only a few tenths of a second with a characteristic increasing frequency, and have been detected since the 1960s. They are known to emerge from about 100,000 km away from Earth, aligning with the Earth’s magnetic field, and are thought to play a key role in the formation of pulsating auroras.
When these waves are converted into audio signals, scientists have found them to sound similar to birds chirping. Scientists have hoped to better understand the phenomenon as these waves are known to accelerate electrons in space, turning them into “killer electrons” capable of damaging satellites.
However, their origin and formation process has remained elusive. Until now, scientists have held that these “chorus waves” form at points in space along the Earth’s magnetic field – which resembles that of a large bar magnet – out to about 51,000 km above the planet’s surface.
Previous research has held that a dipole magnetic field, similar to that of a bar magnet, was key for these strange sounds to emerge. But now, researchers have detected similar waves lasting a tenth of a second with the characteristic high-frequency chirping rate, but from further out in space where the magnetic field is highly distorted.
