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Audification has an established history in the field of space science, with events such as “lion roars” and “whistlers” drawing their names from auditory observations. As of 2019, NASA’s CDAWeb repository provides audified versions of observations from spacecraft and ground-based instruments as a standard data product. This approach can be extended further through spatialized audio (auralization) of data from multiple sensors. However, there are not currently standardized tools available for spatially rendering audified multispacecraft observations. Here, we demonstrate an auralization of magnetometer data from NASA’s  Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) Mission, produced using open-source tools in python. Each spacecraft’s audified data is played by a virtual sound source with a location matching the physical arrangement of that spacecraft. This is used to generate a binaural rendering optimized for playback over headphones. This approach eliminates the need for specialized tools, improving access for citizen scientists. It lays a foundation for standardized auralizations of distributed instrumentation systems, both for use in space science research and for systematically evaluating the effectiveness of auralization methods, and supports ongoing work with ground-based magnetometers in polar regions. 

The spatial audio technique wave field synthesis has the ability to perceptually locate sound sources in front of the loudspeaker array. This can create a challenge for pairing congruent visuals when using a traditional projection screen, such as in many immersive environments. If the sound is placed within the environment beyond the boundary of the screen, how can visuals be displayed such that they appear congruent with their corresponding sound? For this, the technique known as forced perspective, where objects are made to appear of different scales or positions than they are in reality, is utilized. This allows for content to be created to appear as if it is spilling into the environment, and thus remain congruent with its respective sound. Assessments to determine perceptions and the effectiveness of audiovisual sources paired in this way are being planned and will be underway. The technique described here can be utilized for various digital experiences, from artistic performances to 3D advertisements.