A meteor hurtling towards Earth exploded over the northeastern United States on Saturday, emitting a force comparable to 300 tons of TNT, as confirmed by NASA. The celestial object disintegrated over northeastern Massachusetts and southeastern New Hampshire shortly after 2 pm (1806 GMT), according to Jennifer Dooren, the deputy news chief at the US space agency.
Reports from eyewitnesses in New England and NOAA’s GOES-19 satellite indicated a bright fireball sighted on Saturday, May 30, at 2:06 p.m. EDT, accompanied by a loud noise. The meteor broke apart at an altitude of 40 miles over northeast MA and southeast NH, releasing energy equivalent to around 300 tons of TNT, causing the audible disturbance, as detailed by NASA Space Alerts. Some individuals expressed skepticism regarding the fireball sighting, with one questioning the validity of eyewitnesses and another mentioning the obstruction caused by clouds.
Several observers were startled by the incident, with one person recounting seeing it while traveling in a camper and initially mistaking it for a missile or nuclear explosion. The American Meteorological Society notes that meteors travel at exceptionally high velocities, and larger rocks that survive longer in the atmosphere may result in a sonic boom.
The rarity of witnessing a meteor during daylight hours was highlighted, attributed to sunlight typically concealing such occurrences, as stated by National Geographic. This event serves as a reminder of the dynamic nature of celestial events, offering a glimpse into the mysteries of space and Earth’s place within it.