In a green field behind the Park school on the Dartington Estate we conducted space explorations in sound via flimsy pvc piping, rope, copper wire, radio receiver, and radio translator. With these simple materials in the fading light of dusk and a salmon-colored sunset, we constructed a radio telescope that allowed us to listen to storms on Jupiter.
There were some specifics that made the experiment a success: the day that we set up the telescope was carefully chosen according to the position of Jupiter in the sky; the height at which the radio receiver was suspended (and therefore the length of the pvc piping etc.) and the frequency of the radio receiver (which was set up to match the frequency at which Jupiter is known to emit/transmit radio waves).
The electricity used to power the radio translator was generated from a solar panel in a pimped out van which provided a mobile space-sound studio, where Sound Art Radio, Dartington College Radio came to collect sounds from Jupiter storms to broadcast live to Totnes and live streaming around the world. The radio waves collected in the field were heard in New Mexico by faithful listeners who tuned in for the project online!Wine and warming soup, bread and other potluck offerings also made the chilly evening wonderful!
