Sounds from the stars decoded

Scientists from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Australia have pointed out that stars in the sky "vibrate" much like an instrument, and that these vibrations provide clues about the stars' age, mass, and evolutionary state. 

Thanks to data obtained from NASA's Kepler K2 mission, the M67 star cluster, which consists of 27 stars that are 4 billion years old, was investigated. The study, aimed at understanding stellar internal structure, is one of the most comprehensive analyses to date. 

Scientists determined the internal structure, temperature, and age of each star by reading the frequencies emitted by the stars just like a fingerprint. In the study led by Dr. Claudia Reyes from the UNSW School of Physics, it was explained that stars emit various frequencies like different musical notes, and that these frequencies indicate how much the star has aged.

Prof. Dennis Stello from UNSW stated that more reliable models regarding the internal structure of stars could be developed with this study.

Dr. Reyes emphasized that discovering the specific signatures in these frequencies was an unexpected result, adding, 'It is now possible for us to look back at stellar data collected in the past and search for these signatures. In other words, we will actually continue to listen to the stars.'