Loud Meteor Explosion Shakes Massachusetts and Rhode Island

A meteor exploded over northeastern United States Saturday afternoon, generating a loud double boom that was felt in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. According to NASA, the explosion released energy equivalent to approximately 300 tons of TNT. The meteor, roughly 3 feet wide, entered the atmosphere near the border of New Hampshire and Massachusetts, north of Boston. It burst apart at around 2:06 PM local time, traveling at speeds of 75,000 miles per hour and at an altitude of about 40 miles. NASA deputy news chief Jennifer Dooren noted that this event was not linked to any ongoing meteor shower and confirmed that it was a natural object rather than space debris. Many residents reported feeling their homes shake as the sound wave passed, with videos online capturing the phenomenon without visible signs of fire or smoke.