What is a sonic boom as an ‘explosion’ is heard in Leicester? [Video]

Hundreds of people from Leicester to Oxford have been shaken by the sound of a ‘sonic boom’ believed to be down to piercingly fast fighter jets.

Startled residents across south and east England reported their houses rattling from the noise of the mysterious ‘explosion’ – with many taking to Twiiter to ask what might have been behind the noise.

But what is a sonic boom, and how is it caused?

Here’s what you need to know…

What is a sonic boom?

A sonic boom is a sound associated with shock waves, created by an object travelling through the air faster than the speed of sound (741mph).

This sounds like an explosion to the human ear – as a significant amount of energy is created by a sonic boom, it is very loud for those who hear it.

When a plane makes a sonic boom, the sound you hear depends on the distance between the person hearing it, and the aircraft itself – if the person is close to …