From July 3 to August 16, 2026, the Royal Palace is open to the public. This is an opportunity to explore the “Science and Culture” exhibition entitled Music, Sound & Imagination.

In the Grand Gallery, visitors can discover objects, works of art, sound clips and documents, all relating to sound and music. The Music, Sound & Imagination exhibition is organised by Belspo in collaboration with the Federal Scientific Institutes, of which the Royal Observatory of Belgium is a member, as well as the Royal Conservatoire of Brussels and the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel.

On this occasion, the Royal Observatory of Belgium has collaborated with the AstroSounds project to present “star sounds” to the public. AstroSounds is a citizen science project inviting members of the public to analyse the light spectra of stars that have been converted into sounds. Stars vibrate, and by studying their vibrations, we can glean information about the interiors of these celestial bodies. This science, known as asteroseismology, is one of the Observatory’s fields of expertise.

Just like the sounds of musical instruments, the “sounds” of stars are distinguished by their timbre, making it possible to recognise the type of star simply by listening to them. The exhibition and the Observatory’s website showcase the sounds of four types of stars: a sun-like star, an RR Lyrae star, a Beta Cephei star and a classical Cepheid.

Visitors will also have the opportunity to discover other sounds linked to the Observatory and its activities. The mini-podcast, which is also available online, invites listeners to experience a day in the heart of the Observatory’s laboratories and to discover the daily lives of its scientists.

Further information and tickets:

• Main exhibition website: https://royal.belspo.be
• Discover the sounds of four types of stars
• Podcast: “A Day at the Observatory”