A 'shock wave' is the disturbance of material that's created when a wave moves through a medium at greater than the local speed of sound. Provided there is a 'medium' of sufficient density through which a shock wave can travel, there is no reason why shock waves can't form in space..
Moreover, how fast does a shock wave travel?
Scientists have captured the blast from a supernova 10,000 light-years away in a cosmic speed trap, clocking the shockwave from the dead star's explosive end at speeds of nearly 8 miles per second.
Furthermore, how do shock waves work? Shock waves are formed when a pressure front moves at supersonic speeds and pushes on the surrounding air. Over longer distances, a shock wave can change from a nonlinear wave into a linear wave, degenerating into a conventional sound wave as it heats the air and loses energy.
Also to know is, can you feel an explosion in space?
In space no one can hear you explode… Many astronomical objects such as novae, supernovae and black hole mergers are known to catastrophically 'explode'. But as long as the explosion doesn't require oxygen, then it will work in much the same way in space as on Earth.
Can you make a shock wave of light by breaking the light barrier just like supersonic airplanes break the sound barrier?
Supersonic airplanes break the sound barrier by flying faster than the speed of sound. This is possible because sound is just a traveling vibration of air molecules. By analogy, if a space ship traveled faster than the speed of light, it would create a shock wave made entirely of light.
Related Question Answers
How powerful is a shockwave?
The loudest sound ever recorded in human history wasn't created by a human-made explosion, but instead it was created by the Earth itself. Creating a shockwave 100,000 times more powerful than a hydrogen bomb, this sound was clearly heard by 10 percent of the planet.Are shock waves visible?
Shock waves are narrow regions of air where pressure, temperature, and density characteristics are drastically different than surrounding areas. Shock waves appear darker because changes in the air density affect how much light is refracted.How is interference involved in forming a shock wave?
Constructive interference along the lines shown (a cone in three dimensions) from similar sound waves arriving there simultaneously. This superposition forms a disturbance called a shock wave, a constructive interference of sound created by an object moving faster than sound.What does shockwave turn into?
Part of the second wave of Dark of the Moon Voyager Class MechTech toys, Shockwave transforms into a purple Cybertronian tank.What is another name for shock waves?
seismic wave nounshock wave in ocean. earthquake wave.Can shock waves kill you?
If you watch a video of a large explosion, you can see an expanding ring in the air around the explosion. That is the shock wave of air- you can see it because the change in density makes it stand out from the normal air. The increase in air pressure alone can kill you by squeezing you, and causing your lungs to pop.What causes a normal shock wave?
Normal Shock Wave Equations. As an object moves through a gas, the gas molecules are deflected around the object. Shock waves are very small regions in the gas where the gas properties change by a large amount. Across a shock wave, the static pressure, temperature, and gas density increases almost instantaneously.Are shock waves dangerous?
Shock waves make bombs more dangerous and sometimes are the most dangerous part of an explosion. However, the shock wave moves much faster than the rest of the bomb's energy, and fades away quickly. A shock wave can move through any material. An earthquake is a shockwave traveling through the ground.Can you fire a gun in space?
Modern guns, however, have their own internal oxidizers, chemicals that ignite the gunpowder and fire the bullet. In space, where there is no gravity, your bullet could keep moving forever as long as it doesn't hit something — like an asteroid or a planet.Can you hear in space?
No, you cannot hear any sounds in near-empty regions of space. Sound travels through the vibration of atoms and molecules in a medium (such as air or water). In space, where there is no air, sound has no way to travel.Would an explosion in space have a Shockwave?
A 'shock wave' is the disturbance of material that's created when a wave moves through a medium at greater than the local speed of sound. Provided there is a 'medium' of sufficient density through which a shock wave can travel, there is no reason why shock waves can't form in space.Can you survive a nuclear blast in a fridge?
Lucas said that if the refrigerator were lead-lined, and if Indy didn't break his neck when the fridge crashed to earth, and if he were able to get the door open, he could, in fact, survive. “The odds of surviving that refrigerator — from a lot of scientists — are about 50-50,” Lucas said.What happens during an explosion?
An explosion occurs when a large amount of energy is released into a small volume of area in a very short time. Burning very rapidly, explosive material releases concentrated gas that expands quickly to fill the surrounding air space and apply pressure to everything in it.Can a bomb explode in space?
If a nuclear weapon is exploded in a vacuum-i. e., in space-the complexion of weapon effects changes drastically: First, in the absence of an atmosphere, blast disappears completely. Second, thermal radiation, as usually defined, also disappears.Can you see a nuclear explosion from space?
While an atmospheric nuclear explosion has a characteristic mushroom-shaped cloud, high-altitude and space explosions tend to manifest a spherical 'cloud,' reminiscent of other space-based explosions until distorted by Earth's magnetic field, and the charged particles resulting from the blast can cross hemispheres toIs space a vacuum?
Outer space has very low density and pressure, and is the closest physical approximation of a perfect vacuum. But no vacuum is truly perfect, not even in interstellar space, where there are still a few hydrogen atoms per cubic meter.What happens if a nuclear bomb goes off?
Death is highly likely and radiation poisoning is almost certain if one is caught in the open with no terrain or building masking effects within a radius of 0–3 km from a 1 megaton airburst, and the 50% chance of death from the blast extends out to ~8 km from the same 1 megaton atmospheric explosion.Who discovered shock waves?
In the USA the first patent of an electrohydraulic shock wave generator was accepted (Frank Rieber, New York, Patent No. 2.559.What is a shock wave from an explosion?
In fluid dynamics, a blast wave is the increased pressure and flow resulting from the deposition of a large amount of energy in a small, very localised volume. In simpler terms, a blast wave is an area of pressure expanding supersonically outward from an explosive core. It has a leading shock front of compressed gases. 
