Sonic boom, fireball in Florida? Best tweets, Instagram photos, video of SpaceX splashdown
Did you hear a boom Sunday night around midnight? Catch a fireball blazing across the sky?
For once it wasn't the Navy dropping bombs in Ocala. That sound was the Dragon Endeavor capsule bringing four Crew-6 astronauts back from space to splash down off the coast of Jacksonville. The craft generated largely harmless sonic booms across the state on its path from the Gulf of Mexico.
This was the fourth trip to space for the Dragon Endeavor, which brought the four astronauts home after a six-month stay at the International Space Station.
Here on Earth, social media lit up with videos and photos.
Dragon capsule flying over Jacksonville on reentry. Heard the classic sonic boom about 5 minutes after this. Then the entire neighborhoods dogs waking up. pic.twitter.com/J1jbS2nNA4
— Robert Speta (@RobertSpetaWX) September 4, 2023
If you missed the amazing view from #Tampa of the
Space X #Dragon #Crew6 return from space you can see it here as it passes by our radar! @NASA pic.twitter.com/LjiVwupAk9— NWS Tampa Bay (@NWSTampaBay) September 4, 2023
NASA's Dragon Capsule as it soared across the night sky #clearskies 🌔🚀 pic.twitter.com/Ni5vmiymqe
— NWS Jacksonville (@NWSJacksonville) September 4, 2023
I just witnessed the @NASA #Crew6 returning to Earth and heard the sonic boom too! @352today pic.twitter.com/P9QmJdVzKO
— denisevickers (@denisevickers) September 4, 2023
I’m near Jacksonville, FL and heard a boom that vibrated my house around 12:12 AM EDT (09/04/2023). I got out of bed to check on my family. Started looking online to see what may have caused it and found that a spacecraft was returning to earth around that time. Haven’t heard a…
— Elation70 (@Elation70) September 4, 2023
These videos this morning are wildly cool! https://t.co/TWu6vQ0edY
— Lauren Rautenkranz (@WeatherLauren) September 4, 2023
We saw the @SpaceX Dragon go overhead last night on its way to splash down off the coast of Jacksonville! There was a sonic boom that happened a few minutes after this video. So cool! 😊 #SpaceX #astronautlanding pic.twitter.com/9Q7nyilJ8b
— MooseTheCreekDog (@creek_moose) September 4, 2023
The @SpaceX Dragon Crew-6 re-entry flew right over Wildwood, FL. We heard the sonic boom as they were splashing down in Jacksonville. https://t.co/ENVg1A7Me3 pic.twitter.com/sVC4O0RZI6
— Matthew Miller (@wewamiller) September 4, 2023
We got to see the Dragon Capsule re-enter on its way to land in the Atlantic!! Heard the sonic boom and everything. Such an amazing experience! It was just a beautiful streak of gold across the sky ✨#Jacksonville #Jax pic.twitter.com/Fx3xepcyTQ
— Ashley Espie (@dawggirl27) September 4, 2023
Just saw it! That was so cool! And just heard the sonic boom a bit afterwards. pic.twitter.com/rH37F5O6eD
— denisevickers (@denisevickers) September 4, 2023
Nice @SpaceX Crew-6 return tonight. Pretty good sonic boom, too! #SpaceX #Crew6 #WelcomeHome #SonicBoom @elonmusk pic.twitter.com/8M0mA4Aac9
— Art of Messaging (@notjustahooker) September 4, 2023
First time I have seen a SpaceX dragon landing. Incredible views with even a small sonic boom a minute after it went by. @SpaceX pic.twitter.com/yrybHOuMz2
— Philip Knox (@knox_pk) September 4, 2023
What is a sonic boom?
When an aircraft or other vehicle flies overhead and you hear a loud crack of thunder, that's because it was flying faster than the speed of sound, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, about 750 miles an hour at sea level.
For objects moving at supersonic speeds, air acts like a fluid. The objects shove the air molecules out of the way with great force, which forms a shock wave, similar to a boat creating a wake in water — the bigger and heavier the aircraft, the more air it displaces.
Ordinarily, you would hear the sound of the craft approaching, but when it's traveling faster than sound it arrives before the sounds can, and you hear it all in one loud boom.
Can a sonic boom hurt you?
If you are close enough to the source, yes, sonic booms can seriously damage your hearing.
Can I make my own sonic boom?
NASA and SpaceX get some dispensation, here (as does the military). It's been illegal since 1973 for anyone to operate an aircraft capable of producing sonic booms over densely populated areas.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: NASA, SpaceX Crew-6 splashdown, Jacksonville sonic boom on social media
