A 3-foot-wide meteor entered the Earth’s atmosphere at 2:06 p.m. near the New Hampshire–Massachusetts border, triggering multiple loud booms and ground-shaking tremors across Eastern Massachusetts. The space rock traveled at approximately (75,000 text{ mph}), releasing energy equivalent to an estimated (300 text{ tons}) of TNT.
Event Breakdown.
- Date & Time: Saturday afternoon at 2:06 p.m.
- Size & Speed: Estimated 3 feet wide, entering the atmosphere at 75,000 mph.
- Energy Released: Equivalent to 300 tons of TNT.
- Impact: No confirmed ground impact; if fragments survived, they most likely landed in the ocean.
Affected Areas.
The American Meteor Society received dozens of reports ranging from Delaware to Montreal. Witnesses reported seeing a bright, daytime fireball resembling a shooting star, hearing a double “boom,” and feeling their homes shake.
- Massachusetts/New England: The tremors and audible “double boom” were primarily concentrated north of Boston near the Massachusetts-New Hampshire border. Residents reported that the shaking felt louder than an exploding transformer and, combined with the double boom, led to initial fears of a tree falling or a localized explosion.
- USGS Response: The U.S. Geological Survey received numerous “Did you feel it?” reports but did not register any events on seismographs, confirming the shaking was an atmospheric boom rather than an earthquake.
- Official Statements.
- NASA: Confirmed the fireball was natural space material (not a satellite or space debris) and caused a sonic boom as it broke the sound barrier.
- American Meteor Society: Program monitor Robert Lunsford clarified that while the meteor was large enough to cause a massive shockwave—most fireballs are only the size of a grain of sand—it likely fragmented entirely in the air.
- Local Authorities: The Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security investigated the booms and tremors but reassured the public that there was no known threat to safety.
For live updates and to track or report future fireball activity, check the American Meteor Society website.
