Sonic Boom Meets Sun Dog 720p

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsDEfu8s1Lw&feature=player_embedded

February 14, 2010

Solar Dynamics Observatory Launch, Feb 11, 2010 HD VERSION A sun dog is a prismatic bright spot in the sky caused by sun shining through ice crystals. The Atlas V rocket exceeded the speed of sound in this 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."

Watch the ripple effect in the sky towards the end

The sound barrier was first broken way back in 1947. But it’s still awesome to see it happen today. “See” usually isn’t the right word. Normally, you can only hear the sound barrier being broken. But in this video a sonic boom becomes visible.

Ever heard of a Sundog? It’s a layer of ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere. And it can reflect and refract light. NASA recently launched one of its Atlas V rockets. It just happened to break the sound barrier within a Sundog. And you get to see the resulting shockwave, a visible sonic boom.