A meteor hurtling toward Earth exploded over the northeastern United States on Saturday, local time, NASA confirmed. The blast, equivalent to 300 tonnes of TNT, generated loud booms that echoed across a vast area.
Details of the Event
The fireball disintegrated above northeastern Massachusetts and southeastern New Hampshire at 2:06 pm (1806 GMT), according to Jennifer Dooren, deputy news chief at the US space agency. She told AFP that the meteor was not linked to any active meteor shower, nor was it space debris or a satellite re-entry. The energy released during the breakup was estimated at about 300 tonnes of TNT, accounting for the powerful booms heard by residents.
Speed and Altitude
The meteor was traveling at over 120,000 kilometers per hour when it broke apart at an altitude of 64 kilometers. Dooren emphasized that the object was natural in origin.
Eyewitness Reports
Residents in the affected areas were startled by the unexpected loud booms. Social media users reported that the explosions were so intense that houses shook. The event was also captured by NOAA's GOES-19 satellite and witnessed by many in New England.
Comparison to Chelyabinsk Event
In 2013, a house-sized meteor exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia, at an altitude of 22 kilometers, releasing a blast equivalent to 440,000 tonnes of TNT. That explosion shattered windows across 518 square kilometers and injured over 1,600 people, primarily from broken glass.
Saturday's meteor event, while smaller in scale, serves as a reminder of the potential dangers posed by near-Earth objects. NASA continues to monitor the skies for such threats.
