A meteor exploded off the coast of Massachusetts, causing a loud boom to be heard throughout the state Saturday afternoon. Dozens of people across the Northeast reported seeing the fireball around 2 p.m. Saturday. There are no reports of where the meteor landed.
A meteor exploded off the coast of Massachusetts , causing a loud boom to be heard throughout the state Saturday afternoon, according to WBZ-TV chief meteorologist Eric Fisher.
It was heard around 2:11 p.m. Eastern Time, with people describing a sudden bang that rattled windows, startled pets, and even shook some homes. Dozens of phone calls came into the WBZ-TV newsroom reporting a loud explosion heard around Boston, as far as Ipswich and Johnston, Rhode Island. , dozens of people across the Northeast reported seeing the fireball around 2 p.m. Saturday. Sightings stretched across multiple states, helping scientists piece together the meteor's path through the atmosphere.
Satellite lightning data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration showed a signature consistent with a meteor around the same time the boom was reported. The data also showed that the meteor probably entered the atmosphere over the South Shore near Boston. There are no reports of where the meteor landed. Most meteors burn up harmlessly in the atmosphere, but larger objects can occasionally survive long enough to create the brilliant fireballs and booming shock waves that grab people's attention.
If you heard the boom Saturday afternoon, you may be wondering how a space rock can make that much noise. Meteors enter Earth's atmosphere at incredible speeds, often traveling between 25,000 and 160,000 miles per hour. Most are no larger than pebbles or grains of sand and burn up harmlessly high above our heads. Occasionally, a larger object survives long enough to plunge deeper into the atmosphere.
As it tears through the air, it creates powerful shock waves, much like a supersonic jet. Those pressure waves can travel all the way to the ground as a sonic boom, sometimes heard dozens of miles from the meteor's actual path. Saturday's event is the latest in a string of high-profile fireballs reported across North America this year.
In March, a meteor exploded overgenerated a powerful shock wave and scattered meteorites across the Houston area, including one fragment that reportedly crashed through the roof of a home. Scientists with the American Meteor Society have also documented an unusual increase in large fireball events and sonic booms during the first months of 2026.reported a mysterious blast that many initially mistook for an earthquake.
The U.S. Geological Survey later determined that event was consistent with a sonic boom, although the exact source remains under investigation. Cause of death for man found in Azusa police car released
Meteor Explosion Massachusetts Northeast
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey Criticized for Welcoming AgendaMassachusetts Governor Maura Healey's policies have been criticized for inviting dangerous criminals into the state, pushing young Americans to leave, and sending the state's budgets further into the red.
Read more »
Blue Origin New Glenn rocket explodes on launch pad in FloridaBlue Origin, which is owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, had successfully launched its third New Glenn Rocket last month.
Read more »
Blue Origin rocket explodes on the launch pad during an engine-firing testA Blue Origin rocket has exploded during a test at the launch pad. Thursday night's blast was felt in nearby Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach, Florida, and briefly turned the sky orange.
Read more »
Meteor over Massachusetts causes explosion reports, sightings from Delaware to MontrealThe American Meteor Society said a boom heard by residents in multiple states Saturday afternoon was a 3-foot wide meteor entering the atmosphere near the Massachusetts and New Hampshire border.
Read more »