NASA has long been a leading astronomy company, and this needs to be remembered. Using the most modern technology, scientists managed to capture the shock blast waves created by the supersonic T-38C aircraft. The photo was taken by researchers using a camera at the NASA Armstrong and Ames Research Center.
Using the brilliant light of the upper Sun as a background, NASA scientists have developed a method called Orientation to von Schlieren, which is awaiting a patent. With it, you can study the atmospheric distortion from supersonic shock blast waves.
The special camera devices invented in 1864 by the German physicist Auguste Toepler did not have high characteristics in comparison with modern ones. Therefore, they could not compose images of average background noise and show shock blast waves.
In the photo below you can see the T-38C itself. It is easy to distinguish against the background of light, covering almost the entire image.
Images of Schlieren can be made from both the Earth and a series of flying aircraft. Each method has its own specific advantages - and problems. Research is still underway that should improve the efficiency and safety of a supersonic aircraft, for both military and commercial purposes.
“The Schliren wave study method is the main method for researching flight tests of airplanes with the main characteristics in high spatial resolution of shock waves originating from supersonic vehicles,” said Dan Banks, project supervisor at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California . “This allows us to understand the geometry of the shock wave in the real atmosphere when the target plane flies through the atmosphere and the main layers of clouds. The latter cannot be created in wind tunnels. ”
