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Here is a list of some of the news, events and links to media articles related to Audio Universe.
Testing the Sonification Suite at Sherwood Observatory
Testing the Sonification Suite at Sherwood Observatory
In March 2026, Chris and Rose of the Audio Universe team visited Sherwood Observatory to test out our latest development: a Sonification Suite for Planetaria. This will be an online App for Planetaria around the world to create their own sonifications for shows using our methodology and research. This will be accessed through an easy-to-use online interface, so that the Planetarians do not need to get to grips with Python code to quickly start producing their own sonifications! This is expected to be released later in 2026. In the meantime, we've been testing the App as we develop it with both the Planetarians and their audiences.
We were delighted to work with both the staff at Sherwood Observatory and West Nottinghamshire College students (who have various levels of sight loss) to do some of this testing. We got some great feedback and ideas to put into the Sonification Suite!
One student said, who has been blind since birth:
“It’s the first time I’ve explored astronomy, so coming into it fresh has been really exciting. It’s great to see planetariums starting to translate visual experiences into audio for people like me who are totally blind. This kind of technology has value from two perspectives: it’s a great way to explore something new as a hobby but it could also inspire someone to pursue astronomy as a career.”
A press release about the event is available: Bringing the stars within reach: Students Shape Accessible Planetarium Experience.
STRAUSS Turns the COLIBRE simulations into sound!
STRAUSS Turns the COLIBRE simulations into sound!
Team member James Trayford is also a developer COLIBRE simulations, spending a lot of time immersed in detailed, mathematical models while, while trying to keep the ‘big picture’ in mind. With the main COLIBRE simulations now completed, modelling formation and evolution for vast populations of galaxies across billions of years. The volume and complexity of data COLIBRE produces are staggering. With hundreds of physical variables followed simultaneously, building intuition and understanding for what the model can tell us about our Universe is a real challenge.
Traditionally, visual representations have been heavily relied on to understand these models. But through Audio Universe, we have explored a different approach: sonification. By turning COLIBRE data into sound, not only can these complex ideas be communicated more effectively to the public, but it actually helps researcher, gain new insights into the intricate interplay of the physical processes we are studying.
As part of a major project the COLIBRE simulations the 2026 public release contained sonifications produced by STRAUSS. Check out the dedicated page on the sonification of the COLIBRE sonifications with the example movies and links to explore the sonified images yourself!
Software & Astronomy: Catching broad interest
Software & Astronomy: Catching broad interest
In December 2025 Audio Universe work appeared on both an Astronomy blog about accessibility and in a Podcast for Research Software Engineers. This highlights the broad spectrum of applications and interests.
The European Southern Observatory, is the centre of optical and infrared astronomy in Europe. They highlighted out work in their recent blog exploring accessibility in astronomy.
Code for Thought is a Podcast for Research Software Engineers. Our STRAUSS code recently caught their attention, due ot its novel approach to exploring data through sound. Therefore, Chris and James spoke to Peter Schmidt on a special episode dedicated to STRAUSS and Audio Universe.
Audio Universe Success at Sonification Awards
Audio Universe Success at Sonification Awards
In 2025 the Sonification Awards took place for the first time, and two submission from Audio Universe were honoured with an award. These awards aim "to recognise excellence in the field of data sonification [and] serve to recognise outstanding work in the field, as well as encourage and reward best practices." The winners were announced on the Data Sonification Archive with the tag "Award". Audio Universe received an award in both the "Analysis" category and the "Communication" category.
The "analysis" award came from our work on using sound to explore three-dimensional data cubes, as original introduced in our paper in the Royal Astronomical Society Techniques & Instruments journal. Work is ongoing to integrate this into astronomical archives.
The "communciation" award came for our sonification of the Warming Stripes, shown below.
Music from the stars with a Caribbean beat
Music from the stars with a Caribbean beat
We have teamed up with the University of West Indies and a blind musician from Trinidad. Together, we created an educational show about the Solar System in which the stars and planets are represented by sounds, inspired by musical instruments and rhythms from the Caribbean. The show is designed to be accessible to those who are blind or have low vision, whilst creating a new and engaging way for everyone to learn about the Universe.
The show premiered on YouTube, and at an in-person event in Trinidad on 30 January. It is now available online for all to enjoy. This show is a reimagining of our original Tour of the Solar System, but replacing the initial Western-European musical choices and instruments, with those more in tune with Caribbean culture, and also using a local voice actor. This results in a new show that is more inclusive and relatable for Caribbean audiences.
On audience member said: “To see science, sound, music and inclusivity come together in a project that speaks to us in the Caribbean was such a unique and uplifting experience. I look forward to all the avenues yet to be explored using this process."
The press release was issued by both Newcastle University and Portsmouth University.
Audio Universe project is celebrated on STFC blog, as they one of our key funders.
Audio Universe project is celebrated on STFC blog, as they one of our key funders.
The Science and Technology Facilities Council are one of our key funders. Specifically they have invested in James Trayford's work developing the STRAUSS code at Portsmouth University. They have highlighted this work in their public blog item: The sound of silence: how sound brings space to life
Chris gives an INSIGHTS Public Lecture on Sonification & Exploring Black Holes with Sound
Chris gives an INSIGHTS Public Lecture on Sonification & Exploring Black Holes with Sound
In this 41 minute talk Chris tells his story about how he became interested in data sonification and the motivation for using sound to represent the Universe. This is followed by a multi-sensory explanation of how black holes are formed!
Audio Universe team win Newcastle University Open Research Awards
Audio Universe team win Newcastle University Open Research Awards
The Newcastle University Open Research Awards recognise staff and students who have used open practices to make research more accessible, transparent or reproducible, and demonstrate an understanding of the aims of open research. Audio Universe team were the overall winners in 2024, thanks to the efforts to make their methods transparent (e.g., through open source STRAUSS code), involve members of the public with the research development, and re-purposing public datasets to make them more accessible to a variety of audiences.
IFL Science article and National Astronomy Meeting
IFL Science article and National Astronomy Meeting
Audio Universe team member's Rose Shepherd and James Trayford, contributed to an article in IFL Science. They spoke to the writer at the National Astronomical Meeting in Hull (2024) where they both presented our work. They took part in different sessions, with focusses on equity & inclusion and on education & outreach. Rose even made the session interactive, asking the audience to draw and describe the sounds of stellar light curves! The IFL article was particularly showcasing the Gravitational Wave sonification, which can be enjoyed in Virtual Reality or by exploring the YouTube video with your mouse. It makes use of full surround sound, and you can hear gravitational wave events from the third LIGO/Virgo observation run.
Audio Universe Team at UN building for Zero Project event
Audio Universe Team at UN building for Zero Project event
In March 2024 James Trayford visited the United Nations building in Vienna as an invited panel member for the Zero Project celebration event. He took part in the panel discussion "To the moon and beyond: innovations in inclusvie space education and outreach", organised by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs. A recording of the panel discussion is available on this YouTube video.
An Ear to the Sky: STRAUSS release paper and sonification of galaxy data cubes
An Ear to the Sky: STRAUSS release paper and sonification of galaxy data cubes
In a double announcement and paper release we are introducing our new sonification code, STRAUSS, to the scientific community. The first paper, presented at the International Conference for Auditory Display 2023 in Sweden on 28th June, introduces the STRAUSS code and showcases its diverse applications, from sonifying scientific data for analysis, to making immersive soundscapes of the night sky (which are also accessible for those who can’t experience it visually).
A second paper, accepted into the Royal Astronomical Society Techniques & Instruments journal, uses the STRAUSS code to explore new forms of data coming from telescopes. In particular, it tests a new technique, converting the frequencies of light directly to audible frequencies, allowing scientists to hear specific resonances of different chemical elements and their motions of the gas within galaxies - beyond what can be seen in an image alone.
You can experience an example application in the video below: In this case we are listening to a specific frequency emitted by Hydrogen, which is shifted by the high-speed motion of the gas. In the central parts the sound is very “windy”, due to a powerful supermassive black hole causing a strong wind. The rest of the gas is rotating, which sounds like higher notes for the parts moving away from and lower notes for the parts moving towards us.
Audio Universe appears in Scientific American
Audio Universe appears in Scientific American
Sonification of Astronomy features in Scientific American's article "Audio Astronomy Unlocks a Universe of Sound", including quotes from Audio Universe team members, Chris Harrison and Anita Zanella, and other colleagues who were part of the workshop we ran at the Lorentz Centre "Audible Universe 2" in 2022. The story of how we co-created Audio Universe: Tour of the Solar System with our partners also features in the article: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/audio-astronomy-unlocks-a-universe-of-sound/.
Special Sonification Edition in Nature Astronomy and Panelist for UN webinar
Special Sonification Edition in Nature Astronomy and Panelist for UN webinar
In November 2022 Nature Astronomy published a special issue of their journal, featuring four articles on sonification of astronomical data, co-ordinated by the Audio Universe team. Furthermore, Chris Harrison, was one of expert five panelists in a webinar on sonification in space sciences run by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA). The recording of the 1.5 hour webinar is below, followed by a description of the Nature Astronomy articles.
The Nature Astronomy special issue is introduced by the editor with a commentary entitled "Hearing is Believing". The special issue is a result of the Audible Workshop, that was organised and chaired by our team (including Chris Harrison, Anita Zanella and Nic Bonne), that took place in the Lorentz Centre (Leiden) last year. This workshop brought together 50 researchers from a variety of backgrounds including astronomy, sound perception, sound design and education. The workshop discussed the current status of astronomy sonification projects as well as the current challenges facing progress in this area and ideas for future plans. Nature Astronomy took this opportunity to allow sonification to be included as a figure for the first time. Hopefully opening up the door for many more published sonifications in this journal and others. The outcomes of the workshop are summarised in four articles:
(1) A meeting report led by Chris Harrison. Link to main article: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-021-01582-y. Link to a preprint version on arxiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2206.13542
(2) A review of almost 100 sonification projects in astronomy, led by Anita Zanella and Chris Harrison. Link to main article: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-022-01721-z. Link to a preprint version on arxiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2206.13536
(3) A Questions and Answer article, with blind astronomers and science communicators (including Nic Bonne), co-ordinated by Jake Noel-Storr and Michele Willebrands. Link to main article: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-022-01691-2. Link to a preprint version on arxiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2206.13815
(4) A perspective article, written by sound experts (Misdariis et al.), providing their thoughts on current astronomy sonification projects, how they fit in to the broader sonification domain and advice for taking these projects forward. Link to main article: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-022-01821-w
Partly due to this work, and due to the wider Audio Universe project, UNOOSA contacted Chris Harrison to act as a consultant for a policy recommendation document on the topic of sonification and accessibility in space sciences. As part of this UNSOOA Space for Persons with Disabilities project that was run as a public webinar on the 17th November, and Chris was one of the five expert panelists taking part.
Audio Universe named winner of the Early Career Academic Award at the Newcastle University Engagement and Place Awards 2022.
Audio Universe named winner of the Early Career Academic Award at the Newcastle University Engagement and Place Awards 2022.
In October 2022 Dr. Chris Harrison and Audio Universe were presented the Early Career Academic Award at the Newcastle University Engagement and Place Awards, a showcase celebrating innovative collaborations between the University and the public that demonstrate research excellence and work for the public good. The Early Career Academic Award recognises these qualities in engagement projects led by an early career academic from across all of the university faculties. At the time of consideration, the planetarium show had been downloaded by 31 planetariums internationally and has received over 1,300 combined views in English, Spanish and Italian.
"Audio Universe: Tour of the Solar System" selected to be screened at Fulldome Festival Brno
"Audio Universe: Tour of the Solar System" selected to be screened at Fulldome Festival Brno
In May 2022 “Audio Universe: Tour of the Solar System” was chosen to be one of the 36 planetarium shows screened at Fulldome Festival Brno 2022, a showcase of some of the top new planetarium shows across Europe. The festival will take place during 8-10 June at the Brno Observatory and Planetarium in Brno, Czechia. Find out more about the event on their website (https://www.fulldomefestivalbrno.com/).
According to the organisers, the aim of the festival is to “connect the producers of amazing shows for digital planetariums with the operators of such planetariums.” We at Audio Universe are delighted at the opportunity for our show to reach more international audiences, furthering multisensory and accessible education in astronomy worldwide.
Image Credits: The European Space Agency
Audio Universe: Tour of the Solar System featured on BBC Radio 4's "In Touch"
Audio Universe: Tour of the Solar System featured on BBC Radio 4's "In Touch"
On February 8th 2022, Audio Universe: Tour of the Solar System was featured during an episode of the “In Touch” Podcast, a BBC Radio 4 podcast highlighting news and stories relating to the blind or visually impaired community. The feature is during the second half (beginning at 7:58) of the episode titled “The Elections Bill; Hearing the Universe.” It is available here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00146xb.
During the program, you’ll hear some familiar voices from the show, including spaceship captain and teacher of visually impaired children Rachel Lambert as well as expert tour guide and visually impaired professional astronomer Dr. Nic Bonne. You’ll also hear from two young visually impaired students, Amrit Singh and Kiera Mills, who discuss the impact Audio Universe and accessible learning have had on them and their scientific aspirations. In particular, Amrit talks about his important role as a consultant throughout the design and development of the show and why he thinks it is so useful for blind children.
Audio Universe: Tour of the Solar System premiers in England and Italy
Audio Universe: Tour of the Solar System premiers in England and Italy
In December 2021 Audio Universe: Tour of the Solar System makes its international premier during the first week of December 2021.
In Italy, the show premiered in five planetariums across the country during the International Days for People with Disabilities, December 3rd-5th. The planetariums include Infini.to (Torino), Città della Scienza (Napoli), Planetario INAF-OAC (Cagliari), Gal Hassin (Isnello) and Planetario Fondazione Scienza e Tecnica (Firenze). The premiers in Italy were co-ordinated by Dr. Anita Zanella of the Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica in Padova.
In England, the show premiered in two locations on December 6th. In Newcastle Upon Tyne, a showing was led by Dr. Chris Harrison of Newcastle University at the Life Science Centre in Newcastle. In Winchester, Dr. Nicolas Bonne and Dr. James Trayford, both of the University of Portsmouth, led a showing at the Winchester Science Centre.
The full 4k dome planetarium show is freely available, and we hope that Audio Universe: Tour of the Solar System will make its premier in many other planetariums internationally! As of now, the show is available in English, Italian, and Spanish. You can watch the show online on our webpage: https://www.audiouniverse.org/tour-of-the-solar-system
Below you can listen to Dr Nic Bonne being interviewed for RNIB Connect Radio (9 minutes). Below this is an image from the Newcastle Premiere with Leigh Harrison (composer), Chris Harrison (director), Amrit (vision impaired pupil adviser), Rachel Lambert (teacher of visually impaired children and voice of captain).
Work for a Planetarium? Obtain the files for the full-dome planetarium version here.
Want to download the flat screen version in English? Do so here.
Check out the UK (Newcastle University) press release
Check out the Italian press release
Image Credits - Upper: Alessandro Nastasi/Fondazione GAL Hassin, Lower: J. Millard
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