Satellite images of the Beirut explosion site – before and after

Re:Satellite images of the Beirut explosion site – before an... by mysterypie on Wednesday August 05, 2020 @08:32PM (#24067080)

The source of the explosion is easy to identify by comparing it to these two videos[1][2]. You can see that a crescent-shaped area of the pier gets obliterated creating a water-filled crater in front of the silo (the building with 16 tall cylinders in a row). What's fascinating is that the flat buildings on the other side of the silo are obliterated as well. From the two videos below, it looks like the shockwave wraps around the silo and destroys stuff on the far side.

[1] https://streamable.com/zg9oal

[2] https://streamable.com/zykkj6

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Re:Satellite images of the Beirut explosion site – before an... by jameshart on Wednesday August 05, 2020 @10:06PM (#24067516)

The source of the explosion is easy to identify by the enormous crater filled with seawater where the pier used to be.

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Re:Satellite images of the Beirut explosion site – before an... by melonkidney on Wednesday August 05, 2020 @11:24PM (#24067865)

Seems like the silo acted as a lens for the shockwave.

Related video from Steve Mould where he demonstrates this with a balloon and sound waves:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLBmWF9Xo10

[Edit: added correct link]

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Re:Satellite images of the Beirut explosion site – before an... by cbm-vic-20 on Thursday August 06, 2020 @10:06AM (#24070979)

Tom Scott did a video about another acoustic lens: the "sound mirror" overlooking the English Channel that was intended to be an early warning against aircraft coming from the continent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04F5osXK4vw

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Re:Satellite images of the Beirut explosion site – before an... by re on Wednesday August 05, 2020 @11:58PM (#24067995)

[edit: parent comment has been fixed]

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Re:Satellite images of the Beirut explosion site – before an... by melonkidney on Thursday August 06, 2020 @12:04AM (#24068015)

You're absolutely right, thanks. The joys of sharing via mobile...

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Re:Satellite images of the Beirut explosion site – before an... by stronglikedan on Thursday August 06, 2020 @09:27AM (#24070666)

I remember Mythbusters demonstrating that you're not safe from a shockwave by simply hiding behind a sturdy object. Scary.

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Re:Satellite images of the Beirut explosion site – before an... by stordoff on Thursday August 06, 2020 @04:45AM (#24069191)

Are these taken from a larger collection (they're labelled Angle 8 and 9)? I've tried searching, but can't seem to find anything.

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Re:Satellite images of the Beirut explosion site – before an... by helb on Thursday August 06, 2020 @04:56AM (#24069252)

10 angles linked here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24057956

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Re:Satellite images of the Beirut explosion site – before an... by perryizgr8 on Thursday August 06, 2020 @02:18AM (#24068563)

The first time I saw the video I thought the silo building was a hotel, made me very worried. Good to know it was a silo instead.

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Re:Satellite images of the Beirut explosion site – before an... by ggm on Thursday August 06, 2020 @04:22AM (#24069086)

85% of the Lebanese annual grain reserves. If they can recover any from the spoil heap it may help save starvation because without a silo complex, where are they going to store the grain for the rest of the years bread?

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Re:Satellite images of the Beirut explosion site – before an... by PeterisP on Thursday August 06, 2020 @04:30AM (#24069118)

With the port not functioning, it seems that they will have problems shipping in the grain they need for the coming weeks.

It's a double whammy as the explosion has destroyed both the import infrastructure and the already imported stock.

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Re:Satellite images of the Beirut explosion site – before an... by Aeolun on Thursday August 06, 2020 @09:26AM (#24070650)

This cannot be the only port in the country?

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Re:Satellite images of the Beirut explosion site – before an... by PeterisP on Thursday August 06, 2020 @05:02PM (#24075438)

It's the main port, it carried 60% of the total imports, more than all the other ports combined.

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Re:Satellite images of the Beirut explosion site – before an... by ClikeX on Thursday August 06, 2020 @09:51AM (#24070839)

It's their main port at the very least.

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Re:Satellite images of the Beirut explosion site – before an... by perryizgr8 on Thursday August 06, 2020 @05:25AM (#24069377)

Sorry I didn't mean it like that. I was just relived that it wasn't a hotel full of people.

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Re:Satellite images of the Beirut explosion site – before an... by ggm on Friday August 07, 2020 @01:34AM (#24078704)

indeed. I wish it had been something other than food, I wish it hadn't happened in the first place.

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Re:Satellite images of the Beirut explosion site – before an... by Freestyler_3 on Thursday August 06, 2020 @08:00AM (#24070163)

I heard already that they still have enough grain for the rest of the year at least.

So no flour and grain shortage there.

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Re:Satellite images of the Beirut explosion site – before an... by ggm on Thursday August 06, 2020 @05:45PM (#24075811)

Good news

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