Things You Thought You Knew - Sonic BOOM! - StarTalk Radio Recap

Podcast: StarTalk Radio

Published: 2026-03-24

Duration: 2428

What Happened

Sonic booms occur when an object moves faster than the speed of sound, which is approximately 700 miles per hour at sea level. Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice explain that these booms are created by the compression of sound waves into a cone shape behind the moving object. This phenomenon is not limited to jets; even the crack of a whip creates a mini sonic boom as the tip moves faster than sound.

The Concorde was a supersonic passenger plane that could travel faster than sound, but it was restricted from flying over land in the United States due to the noise of sonic booms. Neil deGrasse Tyson notes that sonic booms from natural events, like meteors entering Earth's atmosphere, can also cause significant disturbances, such as breaking windows with their shockwaves.

Temperature variations are often misunderstood, with many assuming the hottest time of day is when the sun is highest. However, Neil deGrasse Tyson clarifies that the peak temperature typically occurs around 3 PM due to the delay in the Earth's surface re-radiating absorbed sunlight. Similarly, the coldest time is just before sunrise after a night of losing heat.

Wind is driven by the unequal heating of the Earth's surface, creating pressure differences. Rising air leads to low pressure and draws in surrounding air, forming wind. Hurricanes exemplify this on a massive scale, with very low central pressure causing air to spiral inward, leading to strong storm winds.

Deserts have significant temperature swings due to the lack of water vapor to trap heat, while more humid regions like Hawaii experience more stable temperatures. This is because moisture acts as a buffer, moderating temperature changes.

On Mars, the thin atmosphere means that even large dust storms do not have the power to topple spacecraft, contrary to some science fiction portrayals. Neil deGrasse Tyson points out that Venus experiences minimal winds because of its even heating, despite its high surface temperature.

Key Insights

• The speed of sound at sea level is about 700 miles per hour, and objects exceeding this speed create sonic booms as sound waves compress into a cone shape.
• The Concorde, a supersonic jet, was unable to fly over the continental United States due to noise restrictions from sonic booms, highlighting the challenges of supersonic travel.
• Temperature peaks around 3 PM due to a delay in heat re-radiation from the Earth's surface, while the coldest time is just before sunrise after a night of cooling.
• Wind results from air pressure differences caused by uneven heating, with rising air creating low pressure that draws in surrounding air to form wind patterns.