According to the Youtube description, the Atlas V rocket exceeded the speed of sound while going through a layer of ice crystals, making the shock wave visible from the ground. The announcer can be heard in the video saying, “The vehicle is now supersonic.”
Wow.
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Cool, having lived on an aircraft carrier a few years I’d already seen horizontal sonic boom. What I find really interesting is NASA’s recent obsession with the sun. Nasa’s STP program seems to be eating up the lion-share of their budget. Could it be they know something we don’t?
I’d only be concerned if they start launching vehicles named Icarus.
NASA operates on a need to know, so if you have an authorization and a need to know they’ll let you know.
Soldiers carrying beepers and mobile phones rather than guns. Reaching out and touching somebody. What is your excuse? I was on company business. Never even heard the boom. It’s a rough game.
Very cool. I was expecting hear a boom at the end. Evidently I don’t have a need to know.
The first shock wave will cost you 50 K. If you want to keep skiing it will be more. The kids ski for free http://www.sunvalley.com/SunValley/Index.aspx
The plans do change and without notice.
Ripples were from rocket exhaust sound. They continued below the rocket well after it penetrated the clouds.
#1 ” What I find really interesting is NASA’s recent obsession with the sun.”
Not really recent, they had a good size Orbiting Solar Observatory program in the sixties.
http://astronautix.com/craft/oso.htm
#3,4,6
What?
Awesome video!
#8 loupe
I’m talking more recent history, if you’re curious google ‘nasa solar missions’. It’s amazing really, makes you wonder how they decide they’re priorities. I mean if you’re facing budget cuts, logically, you’d shave off a little from all the programs. Instead we have a lot of stuff on hold being re-evaluated, but the solar research is full speed ahead. Could it be the irregularities in the recent sunspot cylce, or perhaps the next solar max that their scientists are expecting to be particularly intense? I dunno but it is incongruent and therefore attracts my attention.
Simply awesome!
Maybe it’s just the Russian made ,kerosene burning
first stage engine acting up. If it was a night
launch it might look like the Norway Spiral.
Nice shot.
No doubt if NASA had their way, they’d declare the universe and everything in it made of ice crystals.
-they’ve been very surprised that all the comets they managed to get a taste of are not made of balls of ice..but are in fact, charged rock-like bodies..
-s
#1 Sun spot activity and solar flares do tie in with weather, climate, and our wireless, wired and satellite communications system driven world.
#15 The blast in Russia isn’t going to show up in the geological history of the planet but if it had been over your head you would be dead. Yes we do need to try and do something about incoming. That blast while larger than most doesn’t seem to have been as unique as first thought. A decent sized blast occurred over the Greenland ice cap and a couple of others over the ocean.
Different video fo the same event with further explanation.
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2010/18feb_coolmovie.htm?list857869
Ice clouds are totally weird. They can appear to polarize light, like a molecular thick sheet of polarized glass. A shock wave will effect the polarization of the ice cloud layer, and if you’re wearing polarized glasses, you will notice a “shimmer”. Also supposed to work with cosmic ray showers, but I have yet to see that.
#18 said:
They can appear to polarize light, like a molecular thick sheet of polarized glass.
-well of course..this is kinda academic..yes?
the water molecule is a polarized electric dipole. -similar to a bar magnet in one aspect. it’s diamagnetic properties (meaning in the presence of another electromagnetic magnetic field, it all its molecules will *align* to that field (in opposition)) -are why clouds “float”. they are always pushing away from the the local electromagnetic field of the earth.
iirc, the topside of a cloud (esp thunderclouds) is positively charged and the bottom negatively charged, -which is the reverse of the earth’s charge polarization..
so..you have two polarized fields (one from the earth and one from the charge held in the collection of water molecules in the clouds)
-both presenting their negative poles to each other.
-so like bar magnets, (which are dipoles) -like signs repel.
-hence the clouds always try to push away from the earth..ie “float”
This is the simplest display of “anti-gravity” you’ll find anywhere..
—
(in fact, there is polarized (charged) plasma all around us. i would imagine this is also contributing to the visual effect as well) [99.9% of all “space” is filled with plasma]
—
Of course, most of the planet is NOT ALLOWED to think of gravity as being an electrical phenomena.
(the key phrase here is actually: not allowed to think -Period.
Anyway..if “we were allowed” to think of gravity as an electromagnetic wave..it would take no less than a day after that, that half the planet would realize you could harness gravity as an (unlimited) power source. (-and thus killing the mad profit of “resource wars”–need i say more?) Until this is *fact* is accepted (and taught) -you can rest assured that almost all the science we are taught is pure BS..
Think of it like this: If you only know one type of [science/physics] “foundation” -you will always create just one type of “building class” that said foundation can support.. As long as everyone agrees that the foundation is of a “sound” design, everything built upon it will also “appear” to be the product of “sound” thinking. -even if said foundation in reality, is [very, very] flawed.
A wonderfully simple scam that has worked for how many centuries now?
ANYWAY..
Since fact that both the earth and the water molecule are polarized dipoles. it would be quite natural to see some interesting effects when viewing the visible spectrum through polarized glasses.
BTW: want a clue as to why so many people were “effected” (some got sick/depressed) by the 3D version of Avatar? Those polarized 3D glasses were very special. one lens only let in clockwise rotating light, the other anti-clockwise rotating light.. (!) The projection system basically projects polarized “corkscrew”
(spinning) light.
Once you understand that your mind, your holographic memory..your “consciousness” -is maintained by spheroidal,rotating electromagnetic fields.. well, one will begin to understand how visual stimulae like that from Avatar might cause or create a myriad of emotional responses in humans.. (btw, water molecules “spin” too. -and have “memory” capabilities)
(“Gravity” and “Time” are also [easily] effected by “spin”)
Food for thought. 😀
-s
doh!
I hit enter before finishing a grammar check..oh well..sorry for the misplaced or extra words..
-s
#16 re: “the blast in russia”
if your are referring to the Tunguska event..you may wish to give this a quick read for a far more plausible explanation that requires no “mystery science” to work.. “The Tunguska Event (2) An Explanation that Works”
Go to the home page of thunderbolts.info and use the search box to search the TPOD archive for related Tunguska articles. I think you will find much of what you read most enlightening on many levels..
-s
You only worry when NASA launches a spacecraft called “Messiah”.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120647/