Breaking the Sound Barrier: The Thrill of High-Speed Aviation

Stunning and rare images of an F-18 fighter jet, breaking the sound barrier and forming a cloud cone around it, were recently captured during an airshow on an American aircraft carrier by photographer Derek Ciosta. Why is this exciting, you ask? Well, the answer is quite simple: it is incredibly challenging to achieve such precise speed and angle in photography.

This is a fascinating scientific phenomenon where, as the jet travels through the air, pressure waves moving at the speed of sound create a foam-like appearance. When the jet exceeds the normal speed of sound (about 344 meters per second), these waves form into the 'cone' shape you see in the images.