On Saturday afternoon, a meteor about 3 feet wide streaked through the skies near the Massachusetts-New Hampshire border, creating a loud boom heard across Southern New England. The American Meteor Society confirmed the event. NASA logged the event as a fireball meteor, which hit our atmosphere at an incredible speed of roughly 75,000 mph, but it broke apart 40 miles up, likely before hitting the ground.
Experts say the energy released when the meteor exploded was equal to about 300 tons of TNT. That’s why so many people reported their houses shaking. Residents in various towns shared their experiences on social media, describing the loud noise and the shockwaves.
Most meteors are tiny, often the size of a grain of sand. This is why we typically don’t hear noises during meteor showers. In fact, there are over 20,000 meteors recorded each year, but only a few are large enough to be noticed like this one.
Interestingly, this meteor was not linked to any active meteor shower, which are more common events. Instead, it was a unique occurrence. According to NOAA data, the flash from this meteor was visible on their GOES satellite in Massachusetts Bay around 2:10 PM.
In a world increasingly influenced by technology and social media, it’s fascinating how events like this can spark both excitement and concern among communities. Experts in astronomy suggest that more significant meteor events are on the rise due to better monitoring technologies. This particular incident serves as a reminder of how dynamic our universe is.
Although meteors can turn into meteorites if they reach the Earth’s surface, this one appeared to disintegrate in the atmosphere. If you’re keen on space phenomena, there are vast resources available online, like those from NASA, to learn more about these fascinating celestial events.
Stay tuned as we gather more information about this unique meteor event.
Source link
