On Saturday afternoon, a meteor dramatically burst over New England, creating a spectacular daylight fireball accompanied by a powerful “double boom” that reverberated through local neighborhoods.
The American Meteor Society confirmed that the meteor entered Earth’s atmosphere at approximately 2:30 p.m. before breaking apart over the ocean near the coast of eastern Massachusetts.
“I’ve never experienced an explosion that intense,” shared one resident from Boston.
Another witness described the force of the event, saying, “My sister just called from Lexington… she heard the boom, and then her windows rattled,” noting that even a newly constructed house shook from the impact.
Experts have noted the unusual size of the fireball generated by the meteor.
“This fireball was definitely larger than usual, measuring roughly a yard across,” explained Robert Lunsford, who monitors fireballs for the American Meteor Society.
He added that it was unlikely the meteor hit the ground.
“We would need more information about the trajectory, the speed and other aspects to know for sure if it hit the ground, but if it didn’t burn up, then it would have landed in the ocean,” he continued.
“Most of them do burn up before they hit the ground.”
Several people filed reports with the U.S. Geological Survey registered the shaking with the National Earthquake Information Center, according to an agency spokesperson.
No geological event was recorded on the agency’s seismographs, meaning the shaking was not due to an earthquake.
The phenomenon was observed from Delaware to Montreal.
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