Meteor likely causes loud boom heard in parts of U.S. Northeast

A loud boom heard across eastern Massachusetts and other parts of the U.S. Northeast on Saturday afternoon was likely caused by a meteor entering the atmosphere and producing a sonic boom, reported Xinhua, quoting U.S. media.

The boom was reported at around 2:30 p.m. local time by residents in eastern Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and other areas. The American Meteor Society said the incident was likely caused by a meteor about 3 feet, or 0.9 meters, wide entering the atmosphere near the New Hampshire-Massachusetts border.

Massachusetts public safety officials said they had received reports of an audible boom and ground tremors in eastern Massachusetts, but there were no known emergency police or fire requests connected to the reports, and they did not believe there was a public safety threat.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said many people submitted "Did You Feel It?" reports, but no seismic event was recorded on USGS seismographs, indicating the shaking was not caused by an earthquake. A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather satellite also captured a burst over the Boston area, appearing to support the meteor theory, reports said.

An American Meteor Society expert said the meteor likely burned up in the atmosphere, and if any fragments survived, they probably fell into the ocean. No injuries, damage, hazards or evacuations have been reported in connection with the boom.