A meteor dramatically broke apart over the north-eastern United States on Saturday, creating powerful sonic booms that reverberated across the region. NASA confirmed the celestial event, stating the meteor was travelling at an astonishing speed of 75,000 miles per hour (over 120,000 km/h) when it disintegrated.
The explosion occurred at an altitude of approximately 40 miles, primarily over north-eastern Massachusetts and south-eastern New Hampshire. The energy released by the meteor's fragmentation was calculated to be equivalent to 300 tons of TNT, a significant atmospheric blast that would explain the widespread reports of loud noises.
Such events, while relatively rare in their observable intensity, are a natural phenomenon where space debris enters Earth's atmosphere. The friction with the atmosphere causes the object to heat up rapidly and often break apart, creating a 'fireball' effect and, if large enough, generating shockwaves that can be heard on the ground as sonic booms.
While this particular event occurred over the US, it serves as a reminder of the constant flux of objects in our solar system and the protective role our atmosphere plays. Smaller meteors enter the atmosphere daily, often burning up unnoticed, but larger ones can create spectacular displays and sometimes, as in this case, generate audible effects over a wide area.
Astronomers and space agencies continuously monitor near-Earth objects to track potential impacts, though events of this magnitude are generally not considered a threat due to their atmospheric disintegration. The data collected from such occurrences helps scientists better understand the composition and behaviour of meteors.
Source: NASA