Sir Arthur Eddington (1882-1944)
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Sounds of the Stars
Sir Arthur Eddington is the author of a book called The Internal Constitution of the Stars
wrote: "At first sight it would seem that the deep interior of the sun and stars is less accessible... than any other region of the universe.
What appliance can pierce through the outer layers
of a star and test the conditions within?"
The answer to his question is now known. The
sounds of the stars
Geologists use earthquakes to understand the interior of the earth. In a similar way, astronomers can learn about the insides of stars that
These pulsations are like very low sound waves moving through the star. If we could make the waves move a million times faster, we could hear the sounds of the stars!
Different types of stars would have different sounds. Making sounds like our own Sun is the nearby star alpha Centauri (click to listen). A giant star like xi Hydrae has a deeper tone. A tiny white dwarf star like GD 358 plays the higher notes. One astronomer has even worked with a composer to create a unique kind of music from these sounds.
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