The exhibition, titled Aurora DeepTime, has been made by Northumbria University’s Sensing Remoteness research group for the Cosmic Frequencies Festival 2026, which takes place in Hexham between August 7 and 9.
Visitors to Hexham’s Moot Hall will experience the Northern Lights events of May 2024 through vibratory sounds captured by three space probes during solar storms.
These rare solar storms allowed many in the region to witness the Aurora Borealis first-hand.
The exhibition will use data from the probes, including X-ray, magnetic field, and ion flux data, which monitored the space weather events.
The medieval Moot Hall will be bathed in modulations of coloured light, reflecting transformations in Earth’s magnetic field during the storms.
The exhibition is led by Hexham resident Fiona Crisp, Professor of Contemporary Art at Northumbria University, and includes contributions from interdisciplinary sound artist Dr Jorge Boehringer, mathematician Dr Daniel Ratliff, space artist Luis Guzmán, solar physicist Dr Steph Yardley, and composer and sound artist Dr Bennett Hogg.
Aurora DeepTime is scheduled for Saturday, August 8, from 10am to 5pm, and Sunday, August 9, from 10am to 3pm.
Entry is free, and a free talk will be held on Sunday at 1.30pm, open to all.