We are performing research in the following: (1) using sonification for astronomical data analysis and (2) understanding how effectively sonification can aid accessibility and public engagement.

As part of our work we have co-ordinated a series of publications to review and make a critical assessment of the field of sonification in astronomy (for research, outreach and accessibility). These are published in a special edition of Nature Astronomy (November 2022). You can find links to pre-print versions of these publications on our publication list page.

We also have been working with the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) who have been preparing a report on sonification in space sciences and its contribution to accesibility in space science. More information is on their project website. As part of this Chris was one of five panelists on a public webinar hosted by UNOOSA, for which there is a recording on YouTube.

For producing our own sonifications, we are primarily using our new flexible sonification code, STRAUSS to turn data into sound. Our on-going research includes trying new approaches to turn astrophysical light curves in sound (for example, the recording the dips in a stars' brightness when an exoplanets passes in front of it) and turning galaxy spectra into sound. Find our more about STRAUSS on this page.

For the accessibility and public engagement side, we have already released a publication on the application of sonification to make an accessible astronomy show in Astronomy & Geophysics (Harrison et al. 2022; a pre-print available on arXiv). A Question and Answer article on accessibility in astronomy, with interviews with astronomers and science communicators who are blind or have low vision, has been published in Nature Astronomy (Noel-Storr & Willebrands 2022; a pre-print available on arXiv).