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Meteor Explodes Over Massachusetts Coast Producing Sonic Boom
A meteor entered the atmosphere over Massachusetts on Saturday afternoon and fragmented at roughly 40 miles altitude. The breakup released energy equal to about 300 tons of TNT and generated a sonic boom heard across the state and parts of Rhode Island.
Jun 1, 5:34 AM·1m read2 sources
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m. Eastern Time. Residents from Boston to Ipswich and Johnston, Rhode Island, reported a sudden bang that rattled windows and shook some homes. Dozens of calls reached the WBZ-TV newsroom describing the sound. m.
Satellite lightning data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recorded a signature consistent with a meteor at the same time. The data placed the entry point over the South Shore near Boston. NASA stated the energy released at breakup accounted for the loud noise. The agency later reported that the meteorite fell into Cape Cod Bay at a water depth of 34 meters.
Most meteors burn up in the atmosphere, but larger objects can create fireballs and shock waves. The U.S. Geological Survey noted that sonic booms travel along a linear atmospheric path rather than from a single ground location. NASA described the event as a daytime bolide that produced a meteorite fall in Cape Cod Bay, an occurrence sometimes called a fishy squisher.
