Jupiter and three of its Galilean moons
This concept is analogous to the definition of Just Intonation, in which the frequencies of notes are related by ratios of small whole numbers. So this got me thinking, what chord intervals would these orbits produce if we could hear them?
This tables shows the ratios of the intervals between two notes for two octaves:
| C | D | E | F | G | A | B | C’ | D’ | E’ | F’ | G’ | A’ | B’ | C” | |
| C | 1 | 9/8 | 5/4 | 4/3 | 3/2 | 5/3 | 15/8 | 2 | 9/4 | 5/2 | 4/3 | 3 | 10/3 | 15/4 | 4 |
If we extrapolate these to the orbits of the picture above, we have that Jupiter and IO have an unison interval, Europa would produce an octave and Ganymede would be two octaves higher than the fundamental frequency or, in this case, orbit of Jupiter.
Also Neptune and Pluto have a 3:2 orbital resonance, which gives us would gives us a G frequency sound. Other resonances of interest are:
- In the asteroid belt within 3.5 AU from the Sun, the Kirkwood gaps, most notably at the 4:1, 3:1, 5:2, and 2:1 resonances, or a 15ma, a fifth over the octave, a tenth and an octave above the fundamental frequency respectively.
- Asteroids of the Alinda family are in or close to the 3:1 resonance, which yields a G one octave above the fundamental
- In the rings of Saturn, the Cassini Division is a gap between the inner B Ring and the outer A Ring that has been cleared by a 2:1 (octave) resonance with the moon Mimas.
musimathician.com 