NASA said Saturday that a meteor breaking apart high above the New England area caused a loud boom that was heard across parts of Massachusetts and neighboring states earlier in the day.
The United States space agency said in a post on US social media company X that witnesses and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) GOES-19 satellite detected a bright fireball at 2.06pm local time (1806GMT).
The meteor fragmented at an altitude of about 40 miles (64 kilometres) above northeastern Massachusetts and southeastern New Hampshire, according to NASA. “The energy released at breakup is estimated to be equivalent to about 300 tons of TNT, which accounts for the loud noise,” it said.