Sonic Boom Question

I was reading a thread where someone mentioned hearing a sonic boom and realized I've never heard one. What do they actually sound like on the ground? Is it like a rifle being fired or an explosive detonating? I looked it up on youtube, but couldn't tell how loud they actually are. After answering the question, sarcastic remarks about it being a boom are encouraged.



[edit on 3-1-2009 by Raustin]

A sonic boom is much like a sharp LOUD thunder..very loud and abrupt.

reply to post by Raustin


I believe it's also possible to have "double" (or multiple?) sonic "booms" when a craft is breaking through the sound barrier. Small variations in acceleration/decceleration would cause this at the moment(s) of breaking the barrier.

Here you go...







BOOOOOM!

Space shuttle was pretty cool. I've seen the vids but I was hoping for a comparison I can relate too. Is the boom like a gunshot? Thanks for the post.

Sonic booms are actually double booms, as previously stated. There is one boom as the nose goes supersonic and another after the tail goes supersonic. One of the reasons that planes aren't supposed to fly supersonic over land is because the pressure is capable of causing damage to structures on the ground. The Concorde actually created so much pressure flying at over 50,000 feet that it would have caused discomfort to people on the ground and possibly broken windows. The SR-71 flying at 80,000 feet was creating pressure at just under the point where people would be uncomfortable.

-Translated from Zaphod58, Aviation FSME.

reply to post by Raustin


I was on my local beach one day walking....when the ground shook,like an earthquake.Other people on the beach felt it as well....but no sound.
I reported it as an earthquake, only to be informed it was a sonic boom....I'm not in flight zone,but do get the odd army,police or hospital helicopter.
The sonic boom...was weird, but there was no sight of any aircraft, or navy.

I remember my grandfather telling me about the time he was sitting quietly reading a book at his home when he heard a noise upstairs. He grabbed his shotgun and investigated.

Turned out to be concorde passing overhead.

I remember being at heathrow airport once when it took off...I've NEVER heard such a noise in my life!

BOOOOOM!

reply to post by nerbot


That loud huh? It's hard for me to tell from the videos. What would you compare it too? A gunshot, really loud backfire?

reply to post by Raustin


Like a car back-firing but deep.

Depends on the vehicle & environment etc.

I used to hear concord's sonic boom quite regularly (well I think I did, many years ago when I was a kid) Occasionally I'd even see it fly over head, the booms were very very distant out over the sea, you could easily miss them. It was a sort of dull thud, sometimes 2, and it was carried on the wind it was that far away.

[edit on 4/1/2009 by Now_Then]

ever been to a fireworks show where they save the best to last, and you can even feel the shock from the BOOM?

thats what its like when you hear an F111 breaking the sound barrier directly overhead when your a kid in the mid 80's.
of course we were at the end of the runway of a .mil base during an airshow, the planes were so low they broke a whole bunch of glass houses everytime.

next year were told to go out to sea, break the barrier then come back past at full noise and they'd still break some car, house or glass house windows on occasion