Massive Meteor Explosion Causes Sonic Boom Across Several US States

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) reported that a massive meteor detonated above the northeastern United States, producing a powerful sound and shockwaves that residents across several states experienced. The explosion released energy equivalent to approximately 300 tons of TNT as the meteor penetrated the atmosphere.

Jennifer Dorin, NASA's Deputy News Chief, told AFP that the fireball disintegrated over northeastern Massachusetts and southeastern New Hampshire at 2:06 p.m. local time. She clarified that the celestial object was entirely natural and was not connected to any active meteor showers, space debris, or satellites.

NASA stated that the meteor was traveling at a speed exceeding 120,000 kilometers per hour, at an altitude near 64 kilometers before it exploded and fragmented within the atmosphere. This event caused intense light flashes and explosions audible across a wide area.

The agency explained that the energy from the blast, roughly equal to 300 tons of TNT, accounts for the loud noise and pressure waves that caused houses and windows to shake in various locations.

The incident triggered panic among residents, many of whom initially believed the region had experienced an earthquake or a large military explosion. Social media users shared videos and testimonies describing house vibrations and a strong double boom heard in several cities, including Boston.

Robert Lunsford from the American Meteor Society reported receiving dozens of notifications from areas stretching from Delaware to Montreal, Canada. He added that the space object was larger than typical fireballs.

Lunsford noted that most meteors burn completely before reaching the Earth's surface, suggesting that this meteor either burned up entirely or its remnants fell into the ocean.

Space weather expert Nick Stuart wrote on the platform X that satellites detected an unusual flash east of Boston unrelated to any thunderstorms, likely caused by a large meteor entering the atmosphere.

The United States Geological Survey confirmed that the event was a widespread sonic explosion caused by a space object. It emphasized that this type of wave differs from earthquakes because it occurs along a trajectory within the atmosphere rather than from a fixed underground point.