NASA's LRO mission: Musical space-weather reports

The Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation (CRaTER) on NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has six detectors to monitor the energetic charged particles from galactic cosmic rays and solar events. 

Credit: NASA/GSFC

The latest tool for checking space weather is an internet radio station fed by data from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO).

The radio station essentially operates in real time, receiving measurements of how much radiation the spacecraft is experiencing and converting those into a constant stream of music.

The radiation levels determine which instrument is featured, the musical key being used and the pitches played.

"Our minds love music, so this offers a pleasurable way to interface with the data," said the leader of the music project, Marty Quinn of the University of New Hampshire, Durham.

"It also provides accessibility for people with visual impairments." The radiation levels are determined by LRO's Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation (CRaTER).

Equipped with six detectors, CRaTER monitors the energetic charged particles from galactic cosmic rays and solar events. The instrument makes two kinds of crucial measurements.

One type studies the interaction of radiation in space with a material that is like human tissue; this is helping scientists assess the effects that exposure would have on people and organisms.

The other type looks at radiation hitting the moon and the products generated by that interaction, which provides a way to explore the composition of the regolith on the moon.

"CRaTER has discovered wide-ranging and fundamental aspects of such radiation," said Nathan Schwadron, the principal investigator for CRaTER.

"For example, we have discovered that tissue-equivalent plastics and other lightweight materials can provide even more effective protection than standard shielding, such as aluminum."

Each detector on CRaTER reports the number of particles registered every second.

These counts are relayed to CRaTER Live Radio, where software converts the numbers into pitches in a four-octave scale. Six pitches are played every second, one for each detector.

Higher, tinkly pitches indicate less activity, whereas lower, somber-sounding pitches indicate more activity.

The software selects the primary instrument and a musical key based on recent activity. At the lowest radiation levels, the main instrument will be a piano, playing pitches from one of the major scales.

But as the peak radiation level climbs, one of the minor scales will be selected instead, and the piano will be replaced by one of seven other instruments.