So this is what a sonic boom looks like

 Posted by on 21 February 2010  Modern Life
Feb 212010
 

I’ve seen this on a couple of sites over the past day or so, but I finally got around to watching it — and it’s pretty cool. Sure, just watching a needle-thin rocket (an Atlas V) ascend to space on a jet of flame looks identical to the pulp sci-fi fantasies of my youth.

But when the rocket goes supersonic — and happens to be in the midst of a layer of ice crystals — my jaw dropped. Because of the ice crystals, you can actually see the shock wave of the sonic boom rippling out. It looks like a pebble tossed into a lake, except that this lake is thousands of feet up, in clear air.

And here’s another video of the same event, from a NASA camera:

Grant Hamilton

  • Juel

    Neat – Oh!

  • http://www.absurdintellectual.com/ Amy Breen

    So. Freaking. Cool.

  • Colin

    OK first off — sundogs, in Florida? Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

    Also, kudos to NASA for some pretty cool 21st century marketing. Nice to see an entity that used to be in danger of being thought of as anachronistic or out-of-touch using and understanding the web.

    • http://www.absurdintellectual.com/ Grant Hamilton

      You can get sundogs at anytime, at any place in the world, according to Wikipedia. My guess is that it gets cold in the extreme upper atmosphere no matter where you happen to be above.

      And, if you like that, you’ll be pleased to watch NASA TV.