Space radar captures sound of Perseid meteor shower

Whatever you want to call the Perseid meteors be it shooting stars or simply meteors as they streak through the atmosphere this time each year, they are beautiful to watch. Most people that live in an area where it is reasonably dark can just step outside and see a bunch of the shooting stars on any given night. I know I am not the only one that has wondered what the shooting stars sound like.

I have seen meteors on movies that streak overhead and crash into the ground and I honestly always assumed that the sound they make is much like a rocket taking off or a jet flying overhead. Apparently, I was wrong. The USAF Space Surveillance Radar in Texas has recorded the echoes of the shooting stars as they plummet through the atmosphere and burn up.

The sound they actual make is more like a whistle or a warbling musical note. It reminds me more than a little of the SpongeBob SquarePants episode where the wind whistles through his holes attracting jellyfish. Check out the video below that shows still photos coupled with the sounds recorded by the radar. Check out the video here that shows still photos coupled with the sounds recorded by the radar.

[via Space.com]