http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/aroundthemall/2013/02/a-smithsonian-expert-breaks-down-the-science-of-meteors/ A new Smithsonian blog covering scenes and sightings from the Smithsonian museums and beyond. Mon, 20 May 2013 19:14:09 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/aroundthemall/2013/02/a-smithsonian-expert-breaks-down-the-science-of-meteors/comment-page-1/#comment-10186 James Coster Sun, 17 Feb 2013 14:44:41 +0000 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/aroundthemall/?p=34107#comment-10186 News people report that a "sonic boom" is what was felt and what caused the destruction. My understanding is that it was the explosion of superheated gases when the meteor impacted the atmosphere at some 40,000 mph that was experienced. Sonic booms, per se, occur when objects accelerate through the speed of sound (~760mph). While there may have been a sonic boom component as the meteor, and its fragments, slowed in the atmosphere, that would be minimal compared to the explosion caused by impact. Can anyone verify or refute this line of thinking? News people report that a “sonic boom” is what was felt and what caused the destruction. My understanding is that it was the explosion of superheated gases when the meteor impacted the atmosphere at some 40,000 mph that was experienced. Sonic booms, per se, occur when objects accelerate through the speed of sound (~760mph). While there may have been a sonic boom component as the meteor, and its fragments, slowed in the atmosphere, that would be minimal compared to the explosion caused by impact. Can anyone verify or refute this line of thinking?

]]> http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/aroundthemall/2013/02/a-smithsonian-expert-breaks-down-the-science-of-meteors/comment-page-1/#comment-10175 Thomas L Vaultonburg Sat, 16 Feb 2013 02:31:42 +0000 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/aroundthemall/?p=34107#comment-10175 Maybe this will get Congress to start taking funding of NASA seriously. http://www.chetretorted.com/2013/02/the-meteor-melted-edward-james-olmos.html Maybe this will get Congress to start taking funding of NASA seriously. http://www.chetretorted.com/2013/02/the-meteor-melted-edward-james-olmos.html

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