Meteor Travelling at 75,000 mph Triggers Sonic Booms Across New England

MASSACHUSETTS: A meteor travelling at approximately 75,000 miles per hour streaked across the skies of New England on Saturday afternoon, generating a powerful double sonic boom that rattled buildings and startled residents across several northeastern U.S. states.

According to NASA, the fireball was observed shortly after 2:00 p.m. EDT as it passed over New England. The space agency estimated that the energy released during the meteor’s breakup was equivalent to roughly 300 tonnes of TNT.

NASA said the object fragmented at an altitude of about 40 miles above the region spanning extreme northeastern Massachusetts and southeastern New Hampshire.

The American Meteor Society (AMS) reported that the meteor was approximately three feet (nearly one metre) in diameter. NASA confirmed that the fireball was a naturally occurring celestial object and was not associated with any active meteor shower, satellite re-entry, or space debris.

The sudden double boom prompted numerous reports of an explosion from residents across New England, leading local authorities and emergency agencies to investigate the source of the disturbance. People in several states reported feeling buildings shake, while others described hearing two loud explosions in quick succession.

Videos shared on social media captured the sound of the twin booms, although no visible fire, smoke, or signs of damage were apparent.

AMS Program Monitor Robert Lunsford said the organization received dozens of eyewitness reports from locations ranging from Delaware to Montreal. Observers reported hearing the sonic booms, feeling ground vibrations, or witnessing the bright fireball crossing the daytime sky.

“It was definitely bigger than a normal fireball, about a yard wide,” Lunsford said, describing the object as resembling a shooting star visible in broad daylight.

Despite the meteor’s dramatic appearance and the force of the sonic booms, experts believe it likely disintegrated in the atmosphere before reaching the ground.

The event also prompted multiple reports to the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Earthquake Information Center from residents who experienced shaking similar to a minor earthquake. Agency spokesman Steve Sobie confirmed that several people submitted reports documenting the tremors they felt.

Scientists continue to analyze observations and data from the event, which serves as a reminder of the dynamic activity occurring in Earth’s atmosphere and near-space environment.