Somewhat frightening, reminiscent of … a thriller, is the sound of the Earth’s protective magnetic field. For the first time, as announced by the European Organization Space (ESA), scientists from the Danish Technical University took the magnetic signals recorded by the European Swarm satellites and converted them into sounds.

In fact, the magnetic field itself around our planet cannot be seen or heard directly. It is a complex and dynamic “bubble” that protects us from cosmic radiation and charged particles from the powerful solar “wind”. When these particles collide with atoms and molecules – mostly oxygen and nitrogen – in the Earth’s upper atmosphere, some of the collisions turn into spectacular green-blue northern lights.

The Earth’s magnetic field is generated primarily by an “ocean” of very hot and swirling molten iron in our planet’s outer core, which generates electrical currents, which in turn generate an electromagnetic field.

A trio of ESA satellites on the Swarm mission, launched in 2013, study the Earth’s magnetic field, accurately recording its signals. Danish researchers and musicians have used this magnetic data, taken from both the Earth’s core and a geomagnetic storm following a solar flare, to convert it into sounds that are a bit like… backfires in a nightmare.

As they stated, their intention is not to scare people, but to remind them that the magnetic field exists and, although it sounds a little disturbing, in fact, life on Earth depends on it. A series of loudspeakers in Copenhagen’s Solbjörk Square will periodically broadcast the sound of the magnetic field during the week of October 24-30.

^{Source: APE-MEB}