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Re: (meteorobs) Leonid fireball heights, etc.




----- Original Message -----
From: "drobnock2"

> 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:
    What you say above is very true.  One observer may hear a sonic boom but
a short distance along the meteor trajectory nothing may be heard.  Sound
does not travel line of sight but can be refracted and echoed in
unpredictable ways.  There is an interesting sound track of a Belfast
Meteorite, April 25, 1969 published in Peter M. Millman's "Meteor News",
R.A.S.C. Jour. Vol.64, No.1, p.57-59. February 1970. A Mrs. Brown in
Northern Ireland was recording bird calls with a parabolic mic and captured
the sound event on tape.  The tape record starts with a strong "bird call",
then much less amplitude sonic booms or echoes, ending with a record of a
barking dog.  This could be available on ADS but I can't confirms this as I
have not done a search.

Ed Majden

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