NASA Confirms Meteor Detonation Over New England Area

(MENAFN) NASA confirmed Saturday that a disintegrating meteor detonated high above the New England region, sending a thunderous shockwave across Massachusetts and neighboring states that rattled homes, alarmed residents, and flooded emergency lines with calls.

The US space agency announced via X, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk, that both eyewitnesses and NOAA's GOES-19 satellite captured a blazing fireball streaking across the sky at 2:06 PM local time (1806 GMT). The meteor broke apart approximately 40 miles (64 kilometers) above northeastern Massachusetts and southeastern New Hampshire, according to NASA.

"The energy released at breakup is estimated to be equivalent to about 300 tons of TNT, which accounts for the loud noise," it said.

NASA attributed its findings to a combination of satellite data and firsthand accounts submitted to the American Meteor Society.

The blast was felt broadly across eastern Massachusetts, including Boston and surrounding communities, where residents described a sudden, powerful explosion that shook walls and windows. Police and fire departments throughout the region were inundated with calls from alarmed residents, though responders found no evidence of structural damage or public safety hazards.

Prior to NASA's official confirmation, NBC10 meteorologist Pamela Gardner had already pointed toward a likely atmospheric cause. "There's a satellite lightning detection around Boston — but no lightning. No earthquakes on USGS either," Gardner wrote on X, suggesting the phenomenon was consistent with a bolide — a particularly luminous meteor burning through Earth's atmosphere.

No injuries or property damage have been reported.

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