BOSTON, M.A. — The American Meteor Society said a meteor explosion in New England caused the loud booms heard shortly after 2 p.m. Saturday. The space rock entered Earth’s atmosphere near the New Hampshire–Massachusetts border, north of Boston.
Robert Lunsford of the American Meteor Society said the organization received dozens of reports from across the Northeast. Witnesses reported the event from as far south as Delaware and as far north as Montreal. Many described hearing a double boom, feeling the ground shake or seeing a bright fireball streak across the daytime sky.
The meteor was traveling at an extremely high speed as it entered the atmosphere. As a result, it generated intense heat and pressure. Scientists believe the object broke apart several miles above the ground in what is known as an airburst.
That explosion created a powerful shock wave. The sonic boom traveled across the region and was heard by thousands of people. Some residents said their windows rattled, while others reported their homes shaking.
At first, many people were unsure what caused the noise. Some thought it was an earthquake, an explosion or military activity. Soon after, social media filled with reports from Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and other nearby areas.
According to NASA, the meteor was traveling about 75,000 mph when it entered Earth’s atmosphere. The agency said the explosion released energy equal to roughly 300 tons of TNT before the space rock broke apart.
Meteor explosions large enough to create sonic booms are uncommon in the Northeast. Because of that, Saturday’s event became one of the most widely reported meteor sightings in the region in recent years.
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