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    ESA > Television > 2023 > 07 > Life of Aeolus in music
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    Life of Aeolus in music

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    • Title Life of Aeolus in music
    • Released: 12/07/2023
    • Language English
    • Footage Type Documentary
    • Copyright E. Trometer (sonification & music: J. Perera)
    • Description

      ESA’s Earth Explorer Aeolus satellite was launched in August 2018 on a trailblazing mission to show how profiling Earth’s winds from space can improve weather forecasts and climate models. Data from its pioneering wind-mapping laser, which at one stage was thought a nigh-impossible feat of engineering, has been used by leading weather forecasting services throughout Europe.

      Marking the end of Aeolus’ remarkable mission, ESA worked with composer Jamie Perera to create a woodwind piece from data that spans the lifetime of the satellite’s life in orbit around Earth.

      In the resulting orchestral piece, every second is a day in the life of Aeolus, with data represented by the following instruments:

      Piccolo: Rayleigh Top Altitude (the tops of clouds) 
      Flute: Rayleigh Observation Type (density of clouds)
      Oboe: Rayleigh Reference Temperature (wind temperature)
      Clarinet 1: Rayleigh Wind Velocity (wind velocity)
      Clarinet 2: Rayleigh Wind Reference Pressure (air pressure) 
      Bassoon/Bass Clarinet: Rayleigh Bottom Altitude (Earth’s surface)
      Ambient Synth: Validity Flag 0 (Aeolus downtime)

      You can also hear landmark events such as volcanic eruptions represented by drums, hurricanes represented by wind sound effects, and the Coronavirus pandemic represented by a pulsing synth.

      The full guide to the performance is also available to download in PDF

      Read full story: The sound of Aeolus will blow you away

      Credits: Credits: E. Trometer (sonification & music: J. Perera), 

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    • Activity Observing the Earth
    • Mission Aeolus
    • System Future EO
    • Keywords Art, Earth Explorers, Musicians, Winds

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