<p>Occasionally I see references in Astronomy to the speed of something as “supersonic.” I’m having trouble reconciling this term with velocities typically found among astronomical objects. Wouldn’t “relativistic” be closer to the truth? Anything close to sonic speeds in Earth’s atmosphere wouldn’t cover much distance in outer space. Peter IanchiouTucson, Arizona One would certainly think<a class="more-link" href="https://www.astronomy.com/science/what-does-supersonic-mean-in-astronomy/">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">"What does the term ‘supersonic’ mean in astronomy?"</span></a></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.astronomy.com/science/what-does-supersonic-mean-in-astronomy/">What does the term ‘supersonic’ mean in astronomy?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.astronomy.com">Astronomy Magazine</a>.</p>
Occasionally I see references in Astronomy to the speed of something as “supersonic.” I’m having trouble reconciling this term with velocities typically found among astronomical objects. Wouldn’t “relativistic” be closer to the truth? Anything close to sonic speeds in Earth’s atmosphere wouldn’t cover much distance in outer space. Peter IanchiouTucson, Arizona One would certainly thinkContinue reading “What does the term ‘supersonic’ mean in astronomy?”
The post What does the term ‘supersonic’ mean in astronomy? appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.