Overview
- The object entered the atmosphere Saturday afternoon and NASA confirmed it broke apart about 40 miles above northeastern Massachusetts and southeastern New Hampshire, producing bright fireball and powerful booms.
- NASA estimated the meteor was roughly 3 feet wide, traveled near 75,000 miles per hour, and released energy comparable to about 300 tons of TNT when it fragmented.
- NOAA’s GOES‑19 satellite Geostationary Lightning Mapper recorded an anomalous flash that helped scientists quickly identify the event as a bolide rather than lightning or an earthquake.
- Local and state public‑safety offices and the USGS reported no injuries or damage and said seismographs showed no earthquake, with hundreds of citizen reports describing shaking and two quick booms.
- Agencies map the meteorite fall to Cape Cod Bay where fragments landed in roughly 100 feet of water, making recovery unlikely but preserving valuable observational data for research.