Meteor Explodes Near Boston, Causing Loud Boom and Ground Tremors

A meteor exploded on Saturday afternoon near Boston, causing a loud boom and shaking buildings around 2:30 p.m. According to the American Meteor Society, the 3-feet-wide meteor entered the atmosphere north of Boston, resulting in reports of a 'double boom' from residents across New England. Preliminary fireball reports indicated sightings from Vermont to Delaware. Robert Lunsford, the society’s fireball program monitor, noted that people reported hearing the blast, feeling the ground shake, or seeing the meteor, which appeared as a shooting star in the daytime sky. Many locals initially thought the noise and tremors were caused by an earthquake, prompting reports to the U.S. Geological Survey. However, agency spokesman Steve Sobie confirmed that no seismic events were recorded. NASA reported that the fireball traveled at speeds up to 75,000 miles per hour and exploded 40 miles north of the Massachusetts-New Hampshire border. The Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security stated that there were no emergency requests related to the incident and that there was no public safety threat. Lunsford added that if the meteor had not exploded, it would have landed in the ocean. A similar sonic boom was reported in South Carolina the same day.