NASA has confirmed that a spectacular meteor explosion was responsible for the brilliant flash of light and thunderous noise that startled residents across New England on Saturday afternoon.
The space agency reported that the celestial event took place around 2:06 p.m. EDT, with both ground observers and NOAA’s GOES-19 satellite capturing the dramatic display, according to a NASA statement posted on X.
The meteor disintegrated approximately 40 miles above the earth’s surface, specifically over northeastern Massachusetts and southeastern New Hampshire, NASA officials explained.
According to the space agency’s calculations, the explosion generated energy comparable to roughly 300 tons of TNT, which explains the powerful sound that echoed throughout the area.
The dramatic audio effect occurs because meteors move at speeds exceeding the sound barrier, generating pressure waves during their fiery descent and destruction in the atmosphere, which can result in thunderous sonic booms audible from the ground below.
