Falcon 9 re‑entry over Poland sparks sonic boom spectacle
An incredible recording of the Falcon 9's re-entry into the atmosphere has appeared online. Unlike previously published videos, the footage features a series of booms caused by parts of the rocket burning up over Poland on Thursday morning. "Proof that space not only looks epic but can also make quite a bang," wrote Karol Wójcicki, the creator of the blog "Head in the Stars."
On Wednesday morning (19th February), the Falcon 9 rocket entered the Earth's atmosphere, and its parts almost completely burned up during deorbitation. The phenomenon was noticed in many places in Poland. The recordings show the burning elements of SpaceX's rocket, which resembled falling stars or military missiles.
Witnesses of the event spoke about the sounds accompanying the incident. In the previously published recordings, no noises were heard. Karol Wójcicki, author of the blog "Head in the Stars," mentioned in a conversation with o2.pl that this was due to the few-minute delay between the visibility of light and sound.
The sound generated by the burning parts of the Falcon 9 rocket must reach the ground. It takes a few minutes. The noise could have been heard some time after noticing the deorbitation — the expert explained in a conversation with o2.pl.
The blog "Head in the Stars" featured the first recording documenting the noise generated by the burning rocket. At 3:46 AM Greenwich Time, the flying, burning elements can be seen. Noise resembling the sounds of firecrackers or explosive charges was heard at 3:49 AM Greenwich Time.
Proof that space not only looks epic but can also make quite a bang! You can hear the boom! And not just one, but a whole series! This sound woke many of you up on Wednesday around 3:50 AM. I heard it myself! It wasn't fireworks, nor was it a jet fighter flying by — it was the so-called sonic boom, caused by the fragments of the SpaceX rocket — Wójcicki wrote on his profile "Head in the Clouds."
Not all elements of Falcon 9 burned up in the atmosphere. In the area of Greater Poland, four tanks were found that withstood the temperatures of several hundred degrees Celsius and fell to the ground. The Polish services are investigating this matter.
