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?