Astronomers have isolated the sound of a supermassive black hole located in the Perseus galaxy cluster, and it registers as a B-flat that is fifty-seven octaves below middle C.

A closer look

Astronomers have isolated the sound of a supermassive black hole located in the Perseus galaxy cluster, and it registers as a B-flat that is fifty-seven octaves below middle C. Because the galaxy cluster is filled with a vast amount of hot gas, pressure waves can travel through it, providing a medium for acoustic sound to exist in deep space. However, the pitch is so incredibly low that it is completely inaudible to human ears, essentially making it the deepest, most ominous bass note in the universe. It is perfectly fitting that a colossal tear in the fabric of spacetime, capable of devouring entire star systems and crushing matter into nothingness, produces a low, terrifying hum like a cinematic supervillain entering a room. Even more insulting, we finally get to hear the actual soundtrack of the cosmos, and it turns out to be a note we cannot even physically perceive