Can sound waves travel through space?

Sound is the result of vibrations that propagate through a medium such as air, water, or solid materials. In space, there is no air, and thus no medium to propagate sound waves, so sound cannot travel through the vacuum of space. The absence of a medium also means that other forms of wave motion, such as seismic waves or water waves, would not propagate in space either.

Despite the lack of a medium, space is not completely silent. Electromagnetic waves such as light and radio waves can travel through the vacuum of space, and can be detected by instruments such as telescopes and radio receivers. In fact, these waves are the primary means by which we observe and study distant stars and galaxies.