Re: Satellites making supersonic noises.

From: tlj18@juno.com
Date: Mon Jun 05 2000 - 14:51:58 PDT

  • Next message: tlj18@juno.com: "Re: Satellites making supersonic noises."

    > This is shown by the observations that only meteoroids that 
    > penetrate below
    > this height make a sonic boom.Since the satellite you mentioned 
    > would have been
    > at at least 150Km, it seems unlikely to be source of the whooshing 
    > sound you heard.
    > The length of the time delay you quoted is really what kills your
    > explanation though. A delay of 25 seconds implies a distance of some 
    > 9Km,
    > as the speed of sound is about 330 meters/second. 
    
    In my time as a meteor observer, I recall that some observers reported
    hearing noises only a few seconds after the meteor burnup.  Obviously, it
    could not be sound.  There is no definitive answer (NASA does zero
    research in meteors.  It basically ignores the entire field.), but the
    latest theory is an electrostatic event.  Electricity travels near the
    speed of light (about 98%, I think - electricity has mass - electrons).
    
    However, it is well known fact that when bolides (the detonations of
    large meteors; they make very bright blips in the sky) can be heard.  It
    takes the sound eight minutes to reach your ears.  The light takes about
    0.00027 seconds to reach your eyes.  A perfect example of the differing
    speeds of the two.
    
    Jonathan Wojack
    tlj18@juno.com
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