A loud sonic boom that startled residents across New England on Saturday afternoon was likely caused by a meteor, according to meteorologists. Police departments in Massachusetts received numerous calls reporting a loud explosion from the sky.
NBC 10 meteorologist Pamela Gardner attributed the sound to a meteor or bolide—a meteor that explodes in the atmosphere. She noted that satellite data from GOES 19 showed no lightning in the storm or earthquake activity from the USGS, pointing instead to a meteor entering the atmosphere.
WBZ-TV Chief Meteorologist Eric Fisher supported this explanation, stating that when a meteor explodes, it appears as lightning on satellite lightning mappers. He used such data to pinpoint the location of the event.
Wrentham Police Chief Bill McGrath confirmed the boom was heard throughout New England, shaking homes but causing no reported damage or injuries. Residents on social media described feeling their homes tremble during the rumble.
The American Meteor Society explained that meteors can cause sonic booms when they penetrate deep into the atmosphere, producing pressure waves. Meteors travel at speeds between 25,000 and 160,000 miles per hour. It remains unclear whether the meteor reached the ground or was completely destroyed.
A similar sonic boom occurred in the Carolinas on Thursday, but its origin has not yet been confirmed.
