(meteorobs) Question about bolide meteor fragmentation(air burst) and acousticsound event???

[Bias, Peter V]

Hi Thomas,

Because no one has stepped in to answer this question, I'll give it a
shot.
 
First, a bolide can indeed make an explosive sound eventually heard when
the sound waves make it to the ground. This sound travels at about 700
miles an hour and so will not be heard at the same time the visual event
occurs because light travels at 186,000 miles per second -- a bit faster
than sound.

Second, any large fireball creates a shock wave that can create a sonic
boom, much like the space shuttle does when it comes in for a landing.
There is no explosion required; but there is still a terrific boom as
the shock wave is encountered. The sound from these fireballs would be
very similar to the explosive sound from the bolide but the bolide sound
might be more "compact".

A shock wave travels with the meteoroid so that we encounter the wave on
the ground only once and then hear echoed rumbling of the same wave as
it echoes from other areas that have encountered the shock wave. My
guess is that the two graphs will not look the same, even if they are
superimposed as if they were at the same time (and measured the same
variables on both axes) because a lot of echoing occurs with sound, but
no echoing occurs with the light signature. 

Pete 


> -----Original Message-----
> From: meteorobs-bounces at meteorobs.org [mailto:meteorobs-
> bounces at meteorobs.org] On Behalf Of Thomas Dorman
> Sent: Tuesday, August 08, 2006 8:25 PM
> To: meteorobs at meteorobs.org
> Subject: (meteorobs) Question about bolide meteor fragmentation(air
burst)
> and acousticsound event???
> 
> Hi.All
> When a bolide meteor fragments and one sees a bright
> flash.Does this flash,fragmentation or air burst of
> the meteor produce the sonic boom or acoustic event
> people hear.If one graphed the light event from an air
> burst and graphed the acoustic events and would the
> two graphs look somewhat alike.Since light and sound
> both acts as a wave would the two signatures be
> comparable?Could they be compared?
> Regards
> Thomas Dorman
> Horizon City,Texas
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