Ask A Scientist© Astronomy Archive

Question:  Does sound travel  in space??   We cannot come to a
concensus in our science class.
Please describe the physics.
 thomas b jensen

Answer:  Sound needs a medium to travel in such as air. There is no such
medium in space. The myth of sound in space has been promulgated
by Hollywood in movies and tv: rocket engines firing and explosions
would have little impact on the audience if there was no sound.
A little anecdote: Harlan Ellison, one of our preeminant modern day
science fiction authors, is the creative consultant for the tv show
"Babylon 5", and has declared publicly that he will continue in that
capacity only as long as we don't hear any explosions in outer space!
hawley