Sonic Booms Physics

Comments discuss the physics of sonic booms, supersonic speeds, shockwaves, and why they are absent or inaudible in videos of fast-moving objects like planes, rockets, or sightings.

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Keywords

US musicand.htm youtu.be TIE silcom.com FAA youtube.com thelocal.fr wikipedia.org sonic boom sound supersonic speed air hear noise plane molecules

Sample Comments

Reventlov Oct 3, 2021 View on HN

No. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonic_boom

vvillena Sep 10, 2018 View on HN

The plane is constantly breaking the sound barrier. The boom is what you hear and feel when the shockwave reaches you.

nextaccountic Sep 5, 2020 View on HN

What happens at the speed of sound?

mertd Feb 19, 2019 View on HN

Yes but it won't make a sonic boom.

vorticalbox Nov 13, 2018 View on HN

Bright lights moving at "Mach 2" and no reports of hearing a sonic boom?

amy214 May 16, 2025 View on HN

what about noise is you're supersonic noise and sound is about a mile back

dredmorbius Feb 15, 2013 View on HN

Explosion or sonic boom. Large object, moving fast, not very aerodynamically optimized.

kataklasm Sep 20, 2021 View on HN

There is no sonic boom visible or audible in that video.

mrfusion Nov 11, 2019 View on HN

Is the speed of sound barrier higher too?

verdverm Feb 8, 2023 View on HN

how is that supposed to work at 60km and the speed of sound?