A meteor exploded in the sky over the northeastern United States on Saturday, producing loud booms that were heard across parts of Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
NASA said the fireball broke apart at around 2:06 p.m. local time, about 40 miles above the Earth’s surface, while traveling at roughly 75,000 mph. The event released energy estimated to be equivalent to about 300 tons of TNT.
Officials confirmed that the object was a natural meteor and not space debris or a satellite, and it was not linked to any active meteor shower.
The explosion was strong enough to be widely noticed on the ground, with residents reporting house-shaking booms and flashes of light in the sky.