Sonic Boom Meteorite Lands in Cape Cod Bay

A meteorite that caused a sonic boom across Massachusetts on Saturday landed in Cape Cod Bay, as confirmed by NASA researchers. Initially detected exploding approximately 40 miles above New England, the object has been reclassified as a meteorite since it reached the ground.

NASA reported that the meteorite, measuring about 5 feet in diameter and weighing approximately 5.6 metric tons, was traveling at a speed of 42,000 mph. The meteor traversed the atmosphere from northwest to southeast for 26 miles, breaking apart at an altitude of 31 miles and resulting in the meteorite's fall into the bay.

Weather radar data from Taunton tracked debris at various altitudes above the bay, enabling NASA to accurately locate the meteorite in the water. The probable debris field is situated roughly 10 miles northeast of Sandwich harbor, 17 miles southeast of Plymouth, and 15 miles southwest of Provincetown. NASA noted that many meteorites are magnetic, suggesting that pieces may be recoverable from the ocean floor. WBZ-TV meteorologist Jacob Wycoff mentioned that fishermen with strong magnets might have some luck retrieving fragments located about 70 to 100 feet deep.

The fireball was visible and audible just after 2 p.m. on Saturday, releasing energy equivalent to 230 tons of TNT upon entering Earth's atmosphere. Shauna Edson, an astronomy educator at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, stated that while finding pieces in water is unlikely, meteorites serve as crucial time capsules that provide valuable information about the solar system.