Meteor over Massachusetts causes explosion reports, sightings from Delaware to Montreal
NASA said the fireball released energy equal to 300 tons of TNT and was not linked to a meteor shower, space debris or a satellite.
- On Saturday afternoon just after 2 p.m., a loud boom rattled homes across New England, with residents from New Hampshire to Rhode Island reporting intense shaking.
- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's GOES-19 GLM satellite detected a "very large flash" that "does not correlate" with active thunderstorms, according to spaceflight meteorologist Nick Stewart.
- Southern New England Amateur Radio Skywarn collected "numerous reports of a large boom" with shaking felt at ground level across interior Massachusetts, while viewers described it as "much louder than a transformer exploding."
- WBZ Channel 4 Chief Meteorologist Eric Fisher stated, "Definitely a meteor causing that big boom!" while authorities in Watertown requested residents refrain from calling emergency departments.
- Confirming the event requires finding physical debris, as 1 Degree Outside meteorologist Danielle Noyes noted that radar signatures alone may not provide final proof, and NASA must formally verify the incident.
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The piece of space debris shot into the atmosphere above the northeast coast of the US. Reports came in from multiple states.
According to the AP, reports from New Englanders of a double bang and shaking of buildings put police and services on their feet as they tried to determine the source of the tremors felt in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The American Meteorological Society reported that in the early afternoon of local time, a meteorite about a meter in diameter entered the atmosphere north of Boston and caused a thunderstorm. Meteorite Explosion Over New Englan…
People were alerted about the loud noises. Houses were said to have waved.
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'Equivalent To 300 Tons of TNT': Meteor Fireball Triggered Loud Boom Across New England, NASA Confirms
American Meteor Society program monitor Robert Lunsford said the group received dozens of reports from Delaware to Montreal with people either hearing the double boom, feeling the ground shake or seeing the fireball — which he said looked like a shooting star in the daytime sky.
It most likely disintegrated completely in the atmosphere, causing a sonic boom and minor earthquake-like phenomena.
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