4 ms·
This is super cool, but I'm not convinced that "sonic boom" is really the right term for it.
by onychomys 8y ago
This is super cool, but I'm not convinced that "sonic boom" is really the right term for it.
- ajross 8y agoIt's a shock wave. Physically it really is the same thing. You can reasonably discuss the idea of "pressure" and a speed of "sound" in the interstellar medium, and what happens when a discontinuity like rapidly heated gas from a GRB starts to propagate. It's not the term astronomers would use, but honestly it's not wrong. My quibble would be that despite it being a common term, "sonic boom" doesn't really convey much information to a novice reader. Most people are just going to hear that as "big boom" and not understand that a shock wave is something distinct from a regular noise.
- everdev 8y agoI thought there was no sound in space? "Boom" sounds like a sound to me.
- sp332 8y agoWell, Earth is in space, and there's sound here. There's no sound in a vacuum. As soon as you start adding material, like an entire collapsing star's worth, you can have sound.
- wahern 8y agohttps://gizmodo.com/there-actually-is-sound-in-outer-space-1738420340 https://gizmodo.com/there-actually-is-sound-in-outer-space-1...