1.5 million kilometers from Earth, where the gravitational force from the Earth and our Sun are in perfect balance, lives a man-made object. It is an instrument that measures bursts of energy ejected from the surface of our star, heading towards us. These solar winds define the space weather that surrounds our Spaceship Earth.
While solar winds can be perceived as auroras at high latitudes, they can have global consequences. As the streams of charged particles hit electronic equipment, they can disrupt communication and navigation systems and even cause power blackouts. The frequency and intensity of solar winds follow the solar cycle, which rotates the Sun’s magnetic field every 11 years. As we enter a period of increased solar activity in the next few years, space weather may become increasingly significant to all. The DSCOVR (Deep Space Climate Observatory) is a spacecraft that measures solar wind and provides a 15-to-60-minute advance warning before a storm of particles and magnetic field reaches Earth.
Cosmic Wind Chime is an instrument that translates the real-time data measured by the DSCOVR Observatory into a small magnetic field that sets in motion a series of metal tubes. As the spacecraft measures an increase in solar activity, the temperature, particle density, and direction are transmitted to Earth and translated by the chime into a dynamic magnetic field. While the tubes are pushed and pulled by the surrounding magnets, they start to swing ever more strongly and touch each other as the data is translated into an acoustic performance. A ring of digits displays the raw sensor data. Solar winds take between 15 to 60 minutes to reach Earth, and with a delay of about 10 minutes between the measurement onboard the spacecraft and the activation of the chime, the chime performs the signal between 5 and 50 minutes before it reaches Earth.
The instrument translates real-time space weather into a dynamic electromagnetic performance. By visualizing and sonifying fluctuations on a scale from seconds to hours and months, the work proposes a new perspective on our collective cosmic condition, the impact of our Sun and its magnetic storms on our technology, and a sense of connectedness in the tradition of Spaceship Earth and the Blue Marble.