Shuttle Endeavour’s sonic boom heard across O.C.

OCregister - ScienceDude ^ | November 30th, 2008 | Gary Robbins

[JohnJeykis]

More than 150 readers have contacted us to say they heard the twin sonic boom produced by the space shuttle Endeavour moments before it made a perfect landing at Edwards Air Force Base in the Mojave Desert. We’re hearing from people everywhere from Rancho Santa Margarita to Irvine to Fullerton to Chino to Panorama City, Palmdale, Burbank and Ventura.

[Chubby]

I didn’t hear it.

[Bernard Marx]

It was a mighty fine house-shaking double-boom here in Camarillo. We were expecting it while watching fuzzy televised real-time images of the Shuttle approach. We wished we could have made the trip to Edwards to see the landing but there wasn't enough advance notice.

It was a skyward double-header today with the lovely conjunction of Venus, Jupiter and the crescent moon just after sunset. What a gorgeous display, with no clouds to mar it here!

[psjones]

I sure wish we could have made the trip to Palmdale as well. We’re just 40 mins away, and mid afternoon landing, was the perfect time if only we gotten more advance warning.
It was a loud boom, at first I thought, earthquake, no, explosion, perhaps, it scared the heck out of me since I had no idea the shuttle would be landing out here.

[repubpub]

That double boom is a very unique sound. I was in Florida a couple of years back at one of the theme parks when the shuttle announced her return. Most of the people didn’t know what it was but the few of who did gave a little round of applause for her safe return.

[justkate]

We were up near Santa Barbara for the weekend and the windows got to rattling.

And yeah, it was a lovely, glowing sunset, with the three celestial bodies shining so clear and brite in the dusky sky. Made us all feel Christmas-y.

[karnage]

I wondered what that was...

[xjcsa]

Shuttle Endeavour's sonic boom heard across O.C.

Don't call it that. :)

[HerrBlucher]

I watched the Shuttle land at Edwards in November 1985, the next launch was the ill fated Challenger. The double booms were impressive as was the landing.

[sit-rep]

Edjucate the dummies on this... Why two sonic booms??

[jws3sticks]

One from the front of the vehicle and another one from the ending wing structure. Sonic booms often go: "Bang bang".

It is a sign or your age, because as a kid in the SFV, we had them all the time, Bang bang.

The landing was "picture perfect" and welcomed.

Here's a little bit of the science.

[Carl LaFong]

The muffler probably fell off.

[onedoug]

Bam-bam.... Los Feliz

[Tony in Hawaii]

Boom-boom in Glendale, it caused the dogs in the kennel next door to go nuts.

I was in Tarzana last time the Shuttle landed at Edwards, and the booms set off car alarms in the neighborhood.

[sit-rep]

Thanks for the reply... I grew up near an ANG base before the population in the area complained enough to get them to stop breaking the sound barrier over the lake... All I can remember is K-Boom... I slight preliminary K-... Do not recall two distinct Booms as discussed here.

Could it be the jets were so close it combined them?

[jws3sticks]

Thanks for the kind message.

I think the science is there. I think the diagram is what happens. It might change with wind, actual air speed and a bunch of other factors.

I always remember the double bang in the San Fernando Valley as a kid in the 50's and 60's.

Once the plane is faster than the "speed of sound", 1,100 feet per second, as I recall, you get the sonic booms.

Maybe someone has more science to add to this posting. I hope so.