Kamal Ghorui
Do you ever find yourself pondering the volume of the sun? On the surface, it seems like a rather odd thing to think about because space doesn’t produce any sound waves that we can hear. However, there’s actually quite a bit of evidence that shows the sun isn’t as silent as one might expect. Studies done on the vibrations and pressure waves of the sun have shown that the sun is incredibly noisy and would be impossible for us to listen to if somehow we could hear it. The roar of trillions of jets would pale in comparison.
The Sun is louder than 100 trillion jet engines but you’ll never hear it
The creation of sound takes place due to turbulence and boiling of gases within and outside the Sun. Turbulence causes the generation of pressure waves, which behave as sound waves experienced on Earth. The only problem here is that there isn’t any medium for sound waves in space because of the vacuum.NASA has found that “sound waves can be used as probes” using a technique referred to as helioseismology to understand the interior structure of the Sun through vibrations occurring in it.When measuring the loudness of the sound, researchers believe that it would amount to around 100 decibels on the surface of the Sun. But considering the density of solar matter, the energy involved would be huge; so much so that when hypothetically comparing it with Earth’s atmosphere, it would equal a roar produced by trillions of jet engines working together.
Why space is silent despite the Sun’s noise
Though the Sun produces a great amount of noise, there is nothing we can hear from it. This is due to the fact that sound requires a medium for transportation, such as air or water; however, space is mostly void.Sound waves require a medium through which to move, and space lacks such a medium. Therefore, despite energetic phenomena taking place in space, it remains silent.In other words, though the Sun creates a great deal of acoustic energy, it is confined to its own plasma layer, which cannot travel to the Earth.
Sun sound compared to trillions of jet engines
It becomes necessary to explain this concept through something tangible, as the intensity is simply too great for anyone’s comprehension. For instance, as described in the CRS Journal, one may imagine it to be 10,00,00,00,00,00,000 jet engines working simultaneously.While this analogy may seem simplistic enough, it gives us some idea about the immense power of the energy produced. Not only does the Sun emit light and heat every second, but it also produces vibrations inside itself.What is particularly fascinating is the fact that such vibrations have been recorded and can be heard through special headphones. It turns out that they are quite deep, resonating tones and cannot be compared to anything sharp at all.As explained by solar scientists, they are very useful when studying the nature of the Sun, its behaviour, and life stages. In a sense, this kind of observation can be likened to medical ultrasounds when studying humans.Ultimately, one can easily appreciate the immense energy of our closest celestial body through this analogy, while knowing that nothing can compare to the “roar” of the Sun.
