Sounds Of Mars And Venus Replicated By Scientists At Southampton University

PA/Huffington Post UK  |  By   |  Posted: 2/04/2012 13:59 Updated: 2/04/2012 14:11

The sounds of Mars and Venus have been revealed for the first time by scientists.

A team from the University of Southampton used physics and mathematics to replicate the natural sounds of other worlds from lightning on Venus to whirlwinds on Mars and ice volcanoes on Saturn's largest moon, Titan.

They have also modelled the effects of different atmospheres, pressures and temperatures on the human voice on Mars, Venus and Titan, and found that on Venus humans would sound like bass Smurfs.

Professor Tim Leighton, of the university's Institute for Sound and Vibration Research, said: "We are confident of our calculations.

"We have been rigorous in our use of physics taking into account atmospheres, pressure and fluid dynamics.

"On Venus, the pitch of your voice would become much deeper. That is because the planet's dense atmosphere means that the vocal cords vibrate more slowly through this 'gassy soup'.

"However, the speed of sound in the atmosphere on Venus is much faster than it is on Earth, and this tricks the way our brain interprets the size of a speaker (presumably an evolutionary trait that allowed our ancestors to work out whether an animal call in the night was something that was small enough to eat or so big as to be dangerous).

"When we hear a voice from Venus, we think the speaker is small, but with a deep bass voice. On Venus, humans sound like bass Smurfs."

Prof Leighton, who has been working on the sounds of space for the last ten years and has previously made the sound of a methane waterfall in space, added: "I'm interested in what music would sound like in space.

"If astronauts are based on Mars for several months, they might just take musical instruments along, or build one there. What would they sound like?

"As a scientist, I reckon the most exciting thing to work on is a completely new idea, something that's never been done before."

Despite many years of space exploration, scientists have no evidence of the sound of other planets. While most planetary probes have focused on imaging with cameras and radar and a couple have carried microphones, none of them successfully listened to the sound of another world.

The sounds will be added to the Flight Through The Universe shows this Easter at the Astrium Planetarium at INTECH near Winchester, Hampshire.

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The sounds of Mars and Venus have been revealed for the first time by scientists. A team from the University of Southampton used physics and mathematics to replicate the natural sounds of other wor...
The sounds of Mars and Venus have been revealed for the first time by scientists. A team from the University of Southampton used physics and mathematics to replicate the natural sounds of other wor...
 
 
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Craigzz
God must like pinball
05:19 AM on 06/03/2012
I'd sound like a smurf on Venus lol, yeah I'd sound pretty weird if I popped myself in the oven. What is really strange is I sound all muffled when I stuff a rag in my mouth, or when I try to sing while brushing my teeth.

The Science ?
03:34 PM on 04/06/2012
Your tax dollars at ... WORK?!?!?!
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janno000
11:40 AM on 04/03/2012
ah so as ancient chinese proverb says if there is no one on mars or venus to hear the sounds none is made.
12:56 AM on 04/08/2012
I think that nearly like If a tree fell down in the forest and you were not there to see it or hear it, how would you know that it fell down?
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Fozwords
Abandon hope when you post on here
11:23 AM on 04/03/2012
Well I will sleep better knowing this, I have recorded next doors cat.
10:19 AM on 04/03/2012
Music in space? There needs to air to have sound, no air, no music DOH!
09:36 AM on 04/03/2012
what useless clap trap i could make a sound on the pc and claim it came from another world people are dying all over the world and people who are supposed to have brains spout this rubbish priortys on this planet are all wrong
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Fozwords
Abandon hope when you post on here
11:25 AM on 04/03/2012
I have tracked and recorded an unknown planet in outer space and it sounds like gurgle gurgle rumble rumble pop pop, oh no sorry its my rice crispies.
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wakyracir
My spaniel is watching you
12:43 AM on 04/03/2012
What a pointless exercise. Humans on Venus or Mars would sound just the same as they do here, since they'd have to be wearing space suits if they wanted to live more than a few seconds. Anyway, we already know what humans would sound like on Mars at least. Didn't these people see Total Recall? They go "Arrgh...gurgle...gurgle....awwppph...urrrk" and their eyes pop out.
06:52 AM on 04/03/2012
The pressure of Venus is such that a space suit would scarcely do - at such pressure, believed about twice that the deepest divers have ever met, we would have to breathe an oxygen/helium atmosphere to live, if live we could, which would itself change the sound of our voices - in the opposite direction to that calculated. Mars enjoys a pretty good vacuum, so a space-suit would do. Both have atmospheres with such large carbon dioxide content - never mind almost total lack of oxygen - that we would drop dead, probably of heart failure, after a couple of breaths,whatever the pressure. This is not science, not even science fiction, just fantasy.

At Martian pressures, it might seem doubtful if sound, which depends upon molecules meeting, even exists.
09:40 AM on 04/03/2012
have you been to these planets or do you believe what scientists thing other planets atmospheres are like and that no life can exist it is all ifs and buts no two scientists have the same thearey
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Fozwords
Abandon hope when you post on here
11:26 AM on 04/03/2012
I would love to put some humans on Venus, 650 MPs and a few Top Americans first.
11:45 PM on 04/02/2012
Well after hearing that I'm not buying a house there!!!!!!!
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Fozwords
Abandon hope when you post on here
11:27 AM on 04/03/2012
We have a detached with a large garden and freeform pool, but the shops are light years away, by the time we get back the frozen stuff is knackered.
06:38 PM on 04/02/2012
Why do that? They only had to contact Paul McCartney and he would have given them a copy of the album.
06:32 PM on 04/02/2012
these people can never bre proved wrong.
05:44 PM on 04/02/2012
Since there is no prospect of human beings surviving in the atmosphere of either Venus or Mars, they are never likely to exercise their vocal cords in such an atmosphere - almost pure fantasy!