2026-11-01 · NIRSPEC/IFU · PROGRAM 9065
HOPS-358_NIRSpec — Protostars
A slow, luminous journey through the heart of a stellar nursery, where hydrogen breathes in the dark and light dances in the long silence.
Arranged for violas, concert harp, contrabass (Strings). A warm, melancholic flow of bowed strings traces the winding structure of a cold, dusty cloud.
A slow rise, a gathering hum,
the first note a whisper in the dark.
Light thickens, then thins again,
like breath held beneath the stars.
A sudden chime, a bright ring—
hydrogen sings as the light grows.
A deep thrum, a middle note,
the heart of the cloud begins to beat.
The song dims, the glow recedes,
the ring fades to a fading bell.
A long breath, a final note,
then silence where the light once fell.
This music represents data from the James Webb Space Telescope’s observation of HOPS 358, a region of interstellar gas and dust where stars are forming. The piece covers 90 seconds of continuous movement across the image, with brightness determining the volume and hydrogen emission lines producing ringing tones. The sound begins dim, grows brighter and more resonant as hydrogen emission increases, then fades into quiet darkness. The instrument used was NIRSPEC G395M F290LP, observing light between 2.87 and 5.27 microns.
Program: Characterizing environmental effects on the formation and evolution of water in star-forming regions: Orion as a case study