Some people heard sonic boom loud and clear following latest launch

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The latest SpaceX launch from Vandenberg became a topic of conversation due to the loud sonic boom that followed.

Even retired Westmont Physics Professor, Dr. Ken Kihlstrom, recall its being a loud one.

"It did seem a little bit louder, but I didn't find it bothersome."

Kihlstrom can imagine others being alarmed like Julie Stender, a Santa Barbara local.

"It sounded like a big boom, like a big car accident, like two cars smashing together," said Stender.

Gabrielle Johnson heard it from her home on the Santa Barbara Riviera and wondered what is was until she saw people talking about it online.

She said people have been talking about it on Nextdoor.com ever since.

John Verosko of Camarillo heard it too, but said he knew about the launch beforehand.

The Lesiure Village resident and private bus driver said he is used to military aircraft noise coming from Pt. Mugu.

Kylie Boston of Lompoc said she is used to the sounds of launches, but she said Friday's sonic boom was loud.

Kihlstrom, who earned his doctorate in physics from Stanford, enjoys explaining the sound and put his whole body into it making a 'V' shape with his hands.

"A sonic boom is not because it is breaking the sound barrier, anytime the rocket is going faster than the speed of sound it is creating a sonic boom that follows on the ground behind it."

He said it's like the front of a boat on the water.

"Essentially, it is like a boat going through water and you get that bow wave that comes out sort of like creating a 'V,' well, in case of a rocket it is creating it like this and it is the tail that hits the ground, that follows along the rocket, so the rocket will have already gone by when the sound reaches you."

Dr. Kihlstrom said that's because sound is a lot slower than light.

"You see the rocket where it is instantly, virtually, but the sound is behind it."

That may be why the sound often comes as a surprise.

"In the case of a rocket as it is flying, it is creating that build up of waves that follows on the ground behind it, so it is always behind it."

Learning about it may inspire students to study science.

"It is just fun to see a rocket launch, to see it come over the horizon, go up through the sky and then when the stage separates and they actually recover that first stage and then it keeps going, they see it south of here, they see it in Oxnard,"

People in parts of Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties are likely to hear the sonic boom louder than people living closer to the launch.

"When it gets higher where the air is thin you don't get as much of a sonic boom as you would near the launch."

The professor said it probably get quieter because it is further away and higher up in the atmosphere and it has to go faster than the speed of sound.

Vandenberg invites locals to sign up for text alerts on launches: https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDODSFVANDENBERG/signup/41755

Stender seems interested, "I would definitely sign up for alerts so it would warn me that there is going to be a loud noise so it wouldn't be so scary and startling at the time."

People can also click here to file noise complaints with the Federal Aviation Administration known as the FAA.

Your News Channel requested more information from Vandenberg Space Force Base where another launch is on the schedule.