UPDATE: NASA has confirmed that an exploding meteor that fragmented as it hit the atmosphere over northeastern Massachusetts and southeastern New Hampshire was what caused a loud boom over New England Saturday afternoon.
According to NASA, eyewitness reports of a bright fireball over Massachusetts on Saturday, May 30, at 2:06 p.m., were valid. The explosion shook homes across New England.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s GOES-19 satellite reported the bright fireball. NASA officials say the 3-foot meteor fragmented at an altitude of 40 miles over the earth.
“The energy released at breakup is estimated to be equivalent to about 300 tons of TNT, which accounts for the loud noise,” stated NASA.
Original story:
Residents across Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts are reporting hearing a loud boom shortly after 2 p.m. Saturday.
Residents of entire streets said they ran outside, many thinking that a tree had fallen on their home or a home nearby.
Speculation is running wild after many people felt their homes shake, including suggestions of an alien invasion, interception of a missile, earthquake, or the most likely answer, a meteor entering the atmosphere.
Meteorologist Nick Stewart was among those saying the sound was likely from a significant bolide/meteor entering the atmosphere, citing a large flash detected by GOES -19 GLM (Geostationary Lightning Mapper) that does not correlate with active thunderstorms.
“The flash density product really shows this anomalous “flash,” which is pretty distinctive of a bolide/meteor re-entry,” he posted. “East of Boston. This is the likely source of the loud boom/explosion.”
A bolide is a bright meteor that can generate a shockwave as it goes through the atmosphere.
