A loud double boom that shook buildings across parts of the northeastern United States on Saturday afternoon was caused by a meteor entering the atmosphere, according to the American Meteor Society.
The object, estimated to be about one meter wide, broke apart around 2 p.m. near the New Hampshire–Massachusetts border, just north of Boston, the Associated Press reported.
The AMS received reports from as far south as Delaware and as far north as Montreal. Witnesses said they heard the explosive sounds, felt shockwaves or saw a bright fireball streak across the sky.
NASA confirmed the object was a natural meteor and not a falling satellite. The energy released as it disintegrated was equivalent to roughly 300 tons of TNT, NASA’s Jennifer Dooren said, explaining the intensity of the blasts.