Meteor explodes above major US city causing sonic boom heard for miles around

A meteor caused houses to shake after it exploded and caused a sonic boom, releasing energy equivalent to 300 tons of TNT.

The space rock was travelling through Earth’s atmosphere at a speed of 75,000 miles per hour before it shattered on Saturday, causing a sound that could be heard across the state of Massachusetts, US.

Residents say they heard a sudden bang at around 2.11pm Eastern Time (7.11pm BST), which rattled windows and startled pets.

Dozens more people across multiple states report seeing the meteor on its path before the explosion at around 2pm, according to preliminary reports by the American Meteor Society.

Satellite lightning data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration showed the meteor likely entered the atmosphere over Massachusetts’ South Shore, near Boston.

In a statement, Nasa said: “It appears to have fragmented at an altitude of 40 miles above extreme northeast Massachusetts/southeast New Hampshire,”

Meteors can reach speeds of between 25,000 and 160,000 miles per hour as they enter Earth’s atmosphere.

But most simply burn up in the atmosphere, especially since the majority are no bigger than a pebble.

But occasionally larger objects survive deeper into the atmosphere, creating shock waves as they descend towards Earth.

These shock waves can travel to ground level as a sonic boom, much like the one heard yesterday afternoon.

The U.S. Geological Survey says that ‘unlike earthquakes which occur at discrete locations in the earth, sonic boom events occur along a linear path in the atmosphere.’

But while scientists are pretty sure about what caused the boom, over on social media, witnesses have come up with their own theories.

One suggested the boom was caused by the Galactic Federation, a union of advanced extraterrestrial beings – of which, unsurprisingly, the scientific community has no proof.

One said: ‘Mystery booms can have natural explanations, or they can be created by cloaked Galactic Federation crafts. Regardless, nothing reaches Earth without their approval.

‘The signs and wonders prophesied in the last days will be whatever Galactic Federation intends for us to see.’

Another suggested that, rather than a harmless meteor, the boom may have been caused by a missile.

One said: ‘Boston, Myrtle Beach, before that, and a coastal town in China launched a missile defense interceptor against a hypersonic weapon, some called a meteor.’

While international relations have been tense of late, there’s nothing to suggest yesterday’s phenomenon was anything to worry about.

Shauna Edson, an astronomy educator for the Smithsonian National Space and Air Museum, told local outlet WBZ-TV that there are still questions to be answered (though scientists can probably rule out the Galactic Federation theory for now).

‘How bright it was, how fast it was moving, the angle it was coming from, and how long it stayed bright for, that gives us a lot of information. 

‘Maybe it’s part of a broken-off piece of a lone asteroid. Maybe it’s just one of these smaller space things that’s been floating around that we don’t associate with something we know the name of.

‘Meteors are the time capsules that carry information, so when we find pieces of them, each one is a treasure trove of information about the solar system.’

A number of similar sonic booms have been reported across the US this year. A loud bang was heard in multiple states in March after a meteor exploded over Ohio.

Days later, another meteor exploded over Texas and sent meteorites flying across the Houston area – one even reportedly crashed into the roof of a house.

The American Meteor Society is researching what is considered an unusual increase in large fireball events and sonic booms during the first months of 2026.