Above is a picture of a bullet as it travels at supersonic speed. As the bullet travels through the air it traps air at the front of the bullet due to its supersonic velocity. This air at the front of the bullet forms a shock wave which you can see visualized here. It is this shock wave that is part of the noise you hear when a gun is fired. At the rear of the bullet you can see a low pressure area and the eddies that formed there.
Andrew Davidhaz – Rochester Institute of Technology
3 Comments. Leave new
3rd place. I like how you can actually see the air bend around the front of the bullet and the zone behind the bullet creates a turbulent flow.
Third prize – I really like how the hot air behind the bullet looks very similar to exhaust gases. Also the way the air looks in front of the bullet due to the supersonic speed making it look like a curtain of air. Just thinking about the technology used to take a picture of a bullet in supersonic speed is amazing.
3rd place. This is fucking cool. What’s the other supersonic piece flying behind?