NASA Space Apps 2023 · Global Finalist
Cosmic Keys.
A planetary-data sonification engine that turns numbers into music, a NASA Space Apps Global Finalist project.
Challenge
Planetary datasets are tables of numbers. NASA Space Apps asked teams to make space data accessible to people who will never read a CSV.
Approach
A sonification engine, built with Team Eklavya, that converts planetary latitude, velocity and temperature into piano notes, plus an image scanner that turns a planet photo into a melody.
Outcome
Selected as a Global Finalist from thousands of teams worldwide. The judges did not read the data, they heard it.
Key decisions
- Maps planetary parameters (latitude, velocity, temperature) onto musical pitch, tempo and tone.
- An image-to-music scanner derives a melody from a planet photograph.
- Built and shipped under hackathon time pressure with Team Eklavya.
- Recognised as a NASA Space Apps Challenge Global Finalist, 2023.