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Re: (meteorobs) Leonid fireball heights
Hi:
A possible explanation for the sonic boom not reaching the observer
may be temperature of the atmosphere. If there is a cold layer of air
between the meteor's sound wave and the observer on the ground, the
sonic boom may be reflected away from the observer.
Comments?
George John Drobnock
--- In meteorobs@yahoogroups.com, GeoZay@a... wrote:
> In a message dated 10/22/2003 11:44:21 AM Pacific Standard Time,
> epmajden@s... writes:
> >>Does anyone have data on the deepest penetration into the
atmosphere by
> Leonid fireballs versus magnitude of the fireball? Apparently there
have
> been a few reports of sonic booms from Leonid fireballs. I would
have
> thought these would be too high in the atmosphere to generate an
audible
> sonic boom on the ground. Have any been instrumentally confirmed?<<
> During the 1998 Leonid fireball shower, Lunsford and I saw a very
bright
> Leonid. I believe I gave it a magnitude around -19 and Bob gave it
something like
> a -19 or -20? For several seconds afterwards the persistent train
was at
> around -8. Anyhow, it was so bright that all the stars in my field
of vision
> disappeared and the sky appeared as if it was daylight blue. For
some instinctive
> reason I even sorta ducked expecting to hear a sonic boom...but none
occurred.
> No noise at all.
> George Zay
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