The mystery of hissing meteors

[Judi Lynn]

The mystery of hissing meteors
Has the reported phenomenon of 'hissing' meteors finally been explained?

Tue Feb 21, 2017 Submitted by Iain Todd


Scientists studying the phenomenon of ‘hissing’ meteors believe they may have arrived at an explanation of the strange occurrence.

For centuries, observers of meteors entering Earth’s atmosphere have claimed to hear an accompanying hissing or rustling sound. But if these odd sounds are indeed something more than just the psychological effect of the spectacle on the observer, how can we explain the apparent contradiction created by the fact that sound travels slower than light? Surely, if the sound is coming from the meteor itself, the sound should be heard some time after the meteor's appearance.

A new study suggests that the sounds associated with the arrival of a meteor could actually be caused by the light generated as the rock burns up in Earth’s atmosphere.

The late Sandia National Laboratories researcher Richard Spalding looked into the issue and concluded that the intense light from the meteor could be heating the surface of objects on Earth, which in turn heats the surrounding air. This, the study reasons, could create the hissing sounds often reported by observers of meteors.

More:
http://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/news/mystery-hissing-meteors

[NRaleighLiberal]

1. Issue with that is the speed of sound, yes? Meteors are far above us -

we would hear the hissing long after the streaming flash of light is gone.