NASA Confirms 300-Ton TNT Meteor Blast Over Massachusetts and New Hampshire
Updated
Updated · Boston Herald · May 30
NASA Confirms 300-Ton TNT Meteor Blast Over Massachusetts and New Hampshire
7 articles · Updated · Boston Herald · May 30
NASA said the meteor fragmented about 40 miles above northeast Massachusetts and southeast New Hampshire, releasing energy equivalent to roughly 300 tons of TNT and producing the loud sonic boom heard Saturday afternoon.
USGS identified the event as a widely felt sonic boom rather than an earthquake, after reports of shaking and a large boom spread across eastern Massachusetts around 2:05 p.m.
The American Meteor Society said the object was about 3 feet wide and entered the atmosphere near the Massachusetts-New Hampshire border, with witnesses from Delaware to Montreal reporting a double boom, ground tremors or a daytime fireball.
Officials said no public safety threat was known, and experts said the meteor likely burned up before impact; if any fragments survived, they probably fell into the ocean.
With large fireballs doubling this year, what is causing this sudden surge of meteors hitting Earth's atmosphere?
As meteors increasingly strike populated areas, what is the real risk of damage to our homes and cities?