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Meteor Boom Over New England
A meteor estimated to be 3 feet wide entered Earth’s atmosphere near the Massachusetts/New Hampshire state line and caused a loud boom over Southern New England on Saturday afternoon, with the American Meteor Society saying it was unlikely it hit the ground.
“entered Earth's atmosphere near the Massachusetts/New Hampshire state line”
WJAR reported that a loud noise was heard throughout Rhode Island and Massachusetts at around 2:11 on Saturday afternoon, and NBC 10 said many residents described their houses shaking after the sound.
WHDH said the American Meteor Society confirmed the booms heard about 2:30 p.m. were caused by a meteor about 3 feet wide entering the atmosphere around the New Hampshire border with Massachusetts, north of Boston.
NBC Boston reported that the American Meteor Society confirmed booms heard about 2:30 p.m. were caused by a meteor about 3 feet wide entering the atmosphere around the New Hampshire border with Massachusetts, north of Boston, and that Fireball Program Monitor Robert Lunsford said the society received dozens of reports from Delaware to Montreal.
WJAR added that NOAA’s GOES satellite showed a big flash in the vicinity of Massachusetts Bay around 2:11 p.m., which was likely the meteor exploding.
Officials, Scientists, and Calls
NBC Boston said Massachusetts public safety officials addressed the incident on social media around 3:45 p.m., writing that “there are no known emergency police or fire requests connected to these reports and we do not believe there is any public safety threat.”
In the same NBC Boston report, Fireball Program Monitor Robert Lunsford said, “It was definitely bigger than a normal fireball, about a yard wide,” and he added that it was unlikely the meteor struck the ground.
WHDH said Robert Lunsford told readers the society received dozens of reports from Delaware to Montreal with people either hearing the double boom, feeling the ground shake, or seeing the fireball.
The Associated Press material cited by WHDH said several videos posted on X captured what sounded like two quick booms, with no fire, smoke or other visual causes.
Meanwhile, WJAR quoted Storm Team 10 meteorologist Nick Russo saying all signs point to a large meteor entering Earth’s atmosphere and exploding as the likely cause of the boom.
What Remains Unknown
Even with the American Meteor Society’s confirmation of a meteor about 3 feet wide, multiple outlets said officials still lacked final confirmation of whether it reached the ground.
“It is not known if this meteor reached the ground”
WJAR said “It is not known if this meteor reached the ground,” and NBC Boston quoted Lunsford saying, “We would need more information about the trajectory the speed and other aspects to know for sure if it hit the ground.”
WBUR reported that the U.S. Geological Survey did not detect an earthquake at the time, and it said a flash detected on weather radar in a place where there was no thunder activity was consistent with a bolide.
WBUR also said an official at the National Weather Service told it it was up to NASA to confirm whether the sound came from a meteor, and that final confirmation “may require finding pieces of the debris.”
WHDH added that several people filed reports with the U.S. Geological Survey, registering the shaking they felt with the National Earthquake Information Center, and agency spokesman Steve Sobie confirmed Saturday that there was no event registered on the agency’s seismographs.
