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Re: (meteorobs) Nov. 12/13 Summary
Sound moves at approx 5 seconds per mile (old meteorological trick for
estimating distance to lightning stroke) , so 11-12 seconds implies 2.2
to2.4 miles or about 11000 - 13000 feet.Probably would have scared the C**p
out of anyone traveling in an airliner I guess.(Raises interesting
comparison to the flight 800 explosion height, eh?) Since the sound was so
weak, I'd have to agree with what George suggested that it was a very small
particle by that point. Just curious, Mark, was it just a single boom, or
how long did it last. Did you get a sound magnitude estimate:-):-) {New
skill for NAFN observers :->}
Lucky dawg.
Wayne
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Original Text
From: Mark Davis <MeteorObs@charlestondot net>, on 11/14/96 12:38 AM:
To: <meteorobs@latradedot com>
At 10:10 AM 11/13/96 -0500, you wrote:
>Judging by the short time of 11 or 12 seconds from meteor sighting to
booming
>noise...the meteor had to be very close to you somewhere along it's
>trajectory(about 2 miles). Right off hand, if the meteor came that close
to
>you, I'd expect a possible louder sonic boom.... unless the meteoroid was
too
>small to produce much of a noise. My guess is that this shouldn't diminish
>the appeared magnitudes any or at least not by much. Can't wait to see
>another fireball of that kind of magnitudes myself...dot it's been a long
time.
>George Z.
Thanks for the input on an estimated distance. Immediately after the
observation I had to go to work, then a family event this evening. This
being my first "sound event" I was going to have to do a literature search
for an estimated distance. The sonic boom was sharp, very distinct and
easily heard. I have described it as faint, but I have no reference to
compare it to, so faint may not be an accurate description.
I have been long overdue...10+ years and only a -6.0 to show for it before
this one. But didn't you and Bob catch a -12.0 last year I think? Still
have
to catch up to that one....
Mark Davis
MeteorObs@charlestondot net