If a meteor smashed into the moon, would we hear the sound of the impact here on Earth?

Question

Not a moon destroyer impact, just a regular impact like the ones already marked on the moons surface.

Answer 1

Technically, a meteor is the streak of light that appears across the sky when a meteorite becomes incandescent because of the heat of friction when passing through the atmosphere.

It is the meteorite that is the solid object that can collide with something, and they do collide with the moon frequently.

But stop and think a minute. What is sound? Sound is vibrations passing through a solid, liquid, or gaseous medium. When we talk to each other, we hear sound vibrations passed through the air, which is a gaseous medium.

So would we hear a sound caused by an impact on the moon? Is there a solid, liquid, or gaseous medium between here and the moon?

Of course there is not. So we would not hear the sound. Understood? No, we would not.

This is also a "stop and think" for the person who answered that we would not hear the sound because it is too far away. Hah! Lol, as they say.

Stop and think. It isn't the distance; it's the lack of a medium to carry the sound. Got it? Good.

Answer 2

OK we can get technical....no air no transmission of sound, if there was air, the pressure wave probably wouldnt make it, so no we wouldnt hear it. A meteor is any rock debris type that enters the earths atmosphere. The trail we see is the heat caused by the friction of air with the meteor. Depending of the meteor shower, some meteors have lasting trails while others have quick disappearing trails. If the meteor heats up to a certain point it can explode, which you can hear. Then it is called a "bolide". If it lasts through the entry phase and actually makers it to the earth, it is then called a meteorite. No matter its size. Tiny (very tiny) meteors makes it through and hit everyday, just no body notices. A tv on channel 2 with out the antenna makes a great meteor meter. Disconnect the cable/antenna. Disable the blue screen if you can. (if you cant this wont work) Turn the brightness down just to the point that the screen goes dark. Turn off the room lights and watch. Every time you see the screen flare up, you just saw a meteor flash overhead.

Answer 3

No, you would not hear the impact for the reasons detailed in most of the answers above, i.e. the vacuum of space cannot transmit sound.

However, there would be a possibility of secondary causes of sound that result from debris that was kicked up by the impact, traversing the distance between the moon and our atmosphere. Upon entering our atmosphere, there would be a possibility of sound indirectly being caused by the impact to be heard as the debris that fell would be observed and possibly heard as meteors here in our atmosphere.

Answer 4

No not directly, because sound can't travel through a vacuum. HOWEVER
Scientists have been "listening" to meteorite impacts on the Moon by using seismometers left behind by the Apollo astronauts. When a meteorite bangs into the Moons surface it sends vibrations through the ground which the seismometers detect. The bigger the impact the stronger the vibrations.

Answer 5

No, you would not hear it. You might see it if it were large enough. Sound must travel through something that we call a Medium. Examples of a Medium are Air, Water, Rock, Steel, and small children. There is not enough air between Earth and the Moon for the sound to come this far. Even if there was enough air, it would be too far away to hear it.

Answer 6

No. Sound waves have no medium to propagate through empty space. You need an atmosphere to conduct sound.

Answer 7

No. In spite of what happens in science fiction, sound waves cannot propagate in a vacuum.

Answer 8

Sound doesn't travel in space.

Answer 9

nope, too far away