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Re: (meteorobs) Fireballs & sonic booms
Lew wrote:
> Is that lower limit based on theoretical models of their cause, Malcolm?
>
> I ask, because the one simultaneous sound I've witnessed in recent years
> was associated with a "mere" -7 Leonid, and I'd assumed many such events
> were witnessed with meteors far less awe-inspiring than -18!
This I believe was a theoretical limit that stuck in my mind. I
haven't found a reference at home. The figure may have arose during a
discussion at Smolenice with Colin Keay or in Graham Wolf's original
paper I presented at the Potsdam IMC. In the thousands of hours I've
spent observing meteors, I've never heard a meteor, but there again my
brightest fireball is only -13, which would be consistent with only
extremely bright objects being sources. However, there are reports of
electrophonic sounds for much fainter meteors. The geometry and local
environment must play an important role to be able to rebroadcast the
signal as sound waves. Looks like it's time for me to catch with the
latest research and theory.
As for a +1, that does seem remarkable. What puzzles me, if the sound
emanates from a local source, how does it appear to come from the sky?
How about a video with quadraphonic audio Sirko? (-: Problem is you
found somewhere quiet, there would probably not be any resonating
structures.
Malcolm
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