See some supersonic shockwaves 👀 You're looking at two T-38 jets, soaring faster than the speed of sound—flying in formation just 30 feet (9 meters) apart. This image was taken using a technique called schlieren photography, which measures the flow of air around objects. When an aircraft goes supersonic (about 760 miles an hour, or 1220 kph, at sea level), it sends shockwaves through the air, rapid pressure changes which are responsible for the sonic boom you may hear on the ground. This photo was taken by a NASA aircraft in 2019—the first flight ever to capture interacting shockwaves from two supersonic aircraft. Images like these are helping us design our NASAAero X-59 aircraft, which aims to fly at supersonic speeds without creating loud sonic booms. X-59 is currently gearing up for its first flight later this year. Image description: Two jet planes, seen from below, fly through a bright blue background. Dark lines, indicating the path of their shockwaves, extend at trailing ...