JAKARTA - A loud bang startled residents in the New England region, United States. NASA said the sound was not from an explosion on land, but a meteor that broke apart in the skies of Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
Quoted from Anadolu Agency, Sunday, May 31, the US Space Agency stated that the incident occurred on Saturday at 14.06 local time or 18.06 GMT.
The bright fireball was detected by eyewitnesses and the GOES-19 satellite owned by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or NOAA.
According to NASA, the meteor broke apart at an altitude of about 64 kilometers above northeastern Massachusetts and southeastern New Hampshire.
"The energy released during the break is estimated to be equivalent to about 300 tons of TNT, and that is what caused the loud bang," NASA said.
A number of residents in eastern Massachusetts, including Boston and its surrounding areas, reported hearing a sound like a huge explosion. Some houses were even said to have shaken.
The citizen's report then entered the local police and fire service.
NASA said the initial analysis was based on satellite observations and eyewitness reports sent to the American Meteor Society.
Before NASA gave an explanation, NBC10 meteorologist Pamela Gardner had suspected that the sound came from a bolide. A bolide is a bright meteor that enters the Earth's atmosphere and can look like a fireball.
"There was satellite lightning detection around Boston, but no thunder. No earthquakes based on USGS data either," Gardner wrote on X.
Still referring to the Anadolu Agency report, police and firefighters in a number of areas received many reports from concerned residents. However, officers found no signs of damage or safety threats.
Authorities initially said the source of the sound was unknown. After NASA's explanation, the cause of the boom began to be clear.
Local authorities said there were no reports of injuries or damage after the blast.
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