Certain elements on the surface emitted X-rays when the sun zapped Eros with an intense burst of radiation for 30 minutes on May 4.

CNN: Asteroid Eros resembles 'building blocks' of Earth

The Corot spacecraft detects the oscillations as subtle variations in the light emitted by the star as the surface wobbles.

BBC: Team records 'music' from stars

That surface wave, in turn, produces another electric signal, which is emitted via the transducer.

ECONOMIST: MONITOR