Massive Meteor Explodes Over Massachusetts, Shocks Residents With Loud Booms

A meteor exploded over the north-eastern United States, generating booms equivalent to 300 tons of TNT. NASA confirmed the event, clarifying it was a natural object and not space debris. Residents reported houses shaking from the powerful blast.

Pelumi Ilesanmi • Global • 1 month ago • 1 minute read •

Key Points

• A meteor exploded over northeastern Massachusetts and southeastern New Hampshire on a Saturday afternoon, as confirmed by NASA.

• The explosion generated powerful booms with energy equivalent to 300 tons of TNT, causing houses to shake.

• NASA clarified that the meteor was a natural celestial object, not space debris, and was traveling at 75,000 miles per hour.

Massive Meteor Explodes Over Massachusetts, Shocks Residents With Loud Booms

A meteor that was hurtling towards Earth dramatically exploded over the north-eastern United States on a Saturday afternoon, as confirmed by NASA. This significant event generated powerful booms that resonated across the region, with the blast's energy estimated to be equivalent to 300 tons of TNT. The fireball disintegrated over northeastern Massachusetts and southeastern New Hampshire shortly after 2pm (1806 GMT).

Jennifer Dooren, NASA's deputy news chief, clarified that this particular fireball was not associated with any currently active meteor shower. She emphasized that it was a natural celestial object, not a re-entry of space debris or a satellite. The substantial energy released during its breakup, estimated at approximately 300 tons of TNT, was the direct cause of the reported loud booms.

Further details provided by Dooren revealed that the meteor was traveling at an astounding speed of 75,000 miles per hour (more than 120,000 km/h) when it began to break apart. This occurred at an altitude of 40 miles. The unexpected and powerful booms caused alarm among area residents, with numerous social media users reporting that the impact was so intense it caused their houses to shake.