Sight of Sound

Description: A photograph from the US Department of Defense, July 1999, with thanks for their permission to reproduce the photo here. The photo is described as follows:

The Sight of Sound
Navy Lt. Ron Candiloro's F/A-18 Hornet creates a shock wave as he breaks the sound barrier July 7. The shock wave is visible as a large cloud of condensation formed by the cooling of the air. A smaller shock wave can be seen forming on top of the canopy.

It is possible for a skilled pilot to work the plane's throttle to move the shock wave forward or aft.
Candiloro is assigned to Fighter Squadron 151, currently deployed with the USS Constellation battle group.
(U.S. Navy photo by Ensign John Gay)

See here for a high resolution version (approx. 1MB).
The photo is available on a colour transparency.

Cautions:

Concepts demonstrated:

Equipment:

Setup Time: Short

Difficulty/Commitment: Straightforward

Visibility: Overhead transparency

References:

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