Residents of the north-eastern United States witnessed a rare natural phenomenon. On Saturday afternoon, a bright fireball flew over the New England region, followed by a rumbling sound.
According to NASA, the meteor entered the Earth’s atmosphere and disintegrated at about 14:06 EST. The phenomenon was recorded by numerous eyewitnesses, as well as the GOES-19 satellite of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The agency estimated that the meteor fragmented at an altitude of about 64 kilometres over northeastern Massachusetts and southeastern New Hampshire.
NASA noted that the energy that was released during the destruction of the celestial body was equivalent to about 300 tonnes of TNT. This is what caused the loud sound that was heard by residents of several states.
Experts explain that meteors travel at speeds faster than the speed of sound. When they pass through the atmosphere and disintegrate, they create powerful shock waves that can cause a sonic boom audible on the ground.
No injuries or damage were reported as a result of the incident.