A meteor crashing toward Earth exploded over the north-eastern United States on Saturday, NASA said, setting off booms that echoed over the region with a blast equivalent to 300 tons of TNT. The fireball broke up over northeastern Massachusetts and southeastern New Hampshire just after 2 pm (1806 GMT), the US space agency's deputy news chief Jennifer Dooren told AFP in a statement.
Details of the Meteor Explosion
According to NASA, the meteor was traveling at 75,000 miles per hour (more than 120,000 km/h) at an altitude of 40 miles when it broke apart. The energy released at breakup is estimated to be equivalent to about 300 tons of TNT, which accounts for the loud booms heard across the region. Dooren emphasized that this fireball was not associated with any currently active meteor shower, but it was a natural object and not a re-entry of space debris or a satellite.
Impact on Residents
Area residents were alarmed by the unexpected loud booms, with social media users reporting that the explosions were so powerful that houses were shaking. The event prompted widespread discussion online, as many people shared their experiences of the startling noise and vibrations.
NASA continues to monitor near-Earth objects and provides data on such events to enhance understanding of potential threats from space. This explosion serves as a reminder of the dynamic nature of our solar system and the importance of tracking celestial bodies that come close to Earth.
