Residents in northeastern US heard a loud explosion over Boston on Saturday as a meteor disintegrated with the force of about 300 tons of TNT.
NASA reported on X that NOAA's GOES-19 satellite detected a bright bolide with a loud sound at 2:06 PM ET on May 30.
The meteor broke up at an altitude of about 40 miles over northeastern Massachusetts and southeastern New Hampshire, releasing energy equivalent to 300 tons of TNT.
The New York Times reported that the boom sparked widespread discussion on social media, with theories ranging from nuclear attack to alien invasion.
Boston police received numerous calls from various parts of Massachusetts and sent officers to the Brighton neighborhood to investigate.
Karl W. Hergenrother, executive director of the American Meteor Society, said cloudy weather prevented residents from seeing the actual event.
