[meteorite-list] NP Article, 05-1950 Nininger, Meteorite Sounds
From: MARK BOSTICK <thebigcollector_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:25:40 2004 Message-ID: <BAY4-DAV155sl3xbYiM00004b01_at_hotmail.com> ------=_NextPart_001_0002_01C31B0B.6F31A2E0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Title: Reno Gazette =20 City: Reno, Nevada =20 Date: Monday, May 01, 1950 Page: 16 Meteoric Sounds Stories of Skies By J. Hugh Pruett Astronomer, Extension Division Oregon Higher Education System Last week we explained that the sound most commonly heard from meteorites= in flgith is not the thud when they strike the arth of the final explosi= on in the air. Rather, it is due to the intense "shock wave" they create = when tearing through the upper air at speeds of 20 to 40 miles per second= . Often an observer does not connect the gutteral rumbling with the visual = meteor since the sound may arrive two to five minutes after the fireball = is seen. In the cold upper air, sound travels approxiamtely 11 miles a mi= nute. If the sound arrives three minutes after the visual appearence, the= nearest cause originated about 33 miles from the observer. According to the recent researches on upper air conditions, meteoric deto= nations are not apt to reach the earth when the commotion detonation prod= ucing them takes place more than 30 or 35 miles above ground. The warm oz= one layer extending down from there for several miles would reflect sound= originating above that height back into the higher atmospheric regions. = That produced below this would reach the earth. Every meteor tracer is familiar with the fact that five or ten per cent o= f all reports on a big fireball will mention that a whizzing noise like a= sky rocket was heard at the time the meteor was seen in flight. These so= unds have long been called "psychological," and were thought to be due to= sudden excitement on the part of the observer and imperfect memory of th= e event later. Dr. Wylie of Iowa says "college professors have never hear= d them." (But such men are noted for extreme absent-mindedness.) Known la= ws of sound propagation permit no such instantaneous transmission. But the advocates of "hissing" meteors are gradually gaining supporters. = Dr. H. H. Nininger, the national expert on such matters, is definitely co= nvinced that such sounds are sometimes heard. The present writer, once a = scoffer at the idea, after studying 2000 or 3000 reports received during = the last 18 years is almost convinced. Dr. Nininger does not believe such= sounds travel on air waves, but that some electrical effects are induced= in the proper materials on the earth near the observer which are transfo= rmed into vibrations. Such electro-magnetic waves traveling at the speed = of 186,300 miles a second, would seem instantaneous. If a current of electricity is started in a coil of wire, another coil ne= arby - but with no wire connections with the first - will have a current = "induced" in it. Radio waves in space are transformed into sound by a pro= perly constructed receiver. One man claimed constant annoyance from a rad= io station after having silver fillings put into his teeth. A snap is som= etimes heard somewhere simultaneously with a flash of lightning. Perhaps some persons are better attuned than the general run to detect ce= rtain unexplained phenomena. Please visit, www.MeteoriteArticles.com, a free on-line archive of meteor= and meteorite articles. ------=_NextPart_001_0002_01C31B0B.6F31A2E0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <HTML><BODY STYLE=3D"font:10pt verdana; border:none;"><DIV><B><FONT size=3D= 2> <P>Title:</B> Reno Gazette </P><B> <P>City:</B> Reno, Nevada </P><B> <= P>Date:</B> Monday, May 01, 1950</P> <P>Page: 16</P> <P> </P> <P>Met= eoric Sounds Stories of Skies</P> <P>By J. Hugh Pruett</P> <P>Astronomer,= Extension Division Oregon Higher Education System</P> <P> </P> <P>L= ast week we explained that the sound most commonly heard from meteorites = in flgith is not the thud when they strike the arth of the final explosio= n in the air. Rather, it is due to the intense "shock wave" they create w= hen tearing through the upper air at speeds of 20 to 40 miles per second.= </P> <P>Often an observer does not connect the gutteral rumbling with the= visual meteor since the sound may arrive two to five minutes after the f= ireball is seen. In the cold upper air, sound travels approxiamtely 11 mi= les a minute. If the sound arrives three minutes after the visual appeare= nce, the nearest cause originated about 33 miles from the observer.</P> <= P>According to the recent researches on upper air conditions, meteoric de= tonations are not apt to reach the earth when the commotion detonation pr= oducing them takes place more than 30 or 35 miles above ground. The warm = ozone layer extending down from there for several miles would reflect sou= nd originating above that height back into the higher atmospheric regions= . That produced below this would reach the earth.</P> <P>Every meteor tra= cer is familiar with the fact that five or ten per cent of all reports on= a big fireball will mention that a whizzing noise like a sky rocket was = heard at the time the meteor was seen in flight. These sounds have long b= een called "psychological," and were thought to be due to sudden exciteme= nt on the part of the observer and imperfect memory of the event later. D= r. Wylie of Iowa says "college professors have never heard them." (But su= ch men are noted for extreme absent-mindedness.) Known laws of sound prop= agation permit no such instantaneous transmission.</P> <P>But the advocat= es of "hissing" meteors are gradually gaining supporters. Dr. H. H. Ninin= ger, the national expert on such matters, is definitely convinced that su= ch sounds are sometimes heard. The present writer, once a scoffer at the = idea, after studying 2000 or 3000 reports received during the last 18 yea= rs is almost convinced. Dr. Nininger does not believe such sounds travel = on air waves, but that some electrical effects are induced in the proper = materials on the earth near the observer which are transformed into vibra= tions. Such electro-magnetic waves traveling at the speed of 186,300 mile= s a second, would seem instantaneous.</P> <P>If a current of electricity = is started in a coil of wire, another coil nearby - but with no wire conn= ections with the first - will have a current "induced" in it. Radio waves= in space are transformed into sound by a properly constructed receiver. = One man claimed constant annoyance from a radio station after having silv= er fillings put into his teeth. A snap is sometimes heard somewhere simul= taneously with a flash of lightning.</P> <P>Perhaps some persons are bett= er attuned than the general run to detect certain unexplained phenomena.<= /P></FONT><BR><BR>Please visit, www.MeteoriteArticles.com, a free on-line= archive of meteor and meteorite articles.</DIV></BODY></HTML> ------=_NextPart_001_0002_01C31B0B.6F31A2E0-- Received on Thu 15 May 2003 06:57:22 PM PDT |
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