A meteor exploded over the US: NASA has released details
This is according to Reuters, citing NASA.
The meteor broke up at an altitude of over 60 kilometres
The event occurred at around 14:06 Eastern Time (18:06 GMT). The phenomenon was recorded by eyewitnesses, as well as by the GOES-19 satellite of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). According to NASA estimates, the space object broke up at an altitude of approximately 64 kilometres above north-eastern Massachusetts and south-eastern New Hampshire. The disintegration released energy equivalent to approximately 300 tonnes of TNT. This is how NASA explained the loud sound reported by residents of the region.
Why the explosion was heard on the ground
Experts explain that meteors travel at speeds exceeding the speed of sound. As they pass through the atmosphere and break up, they create powerful pressure waves. This can result in a sonic boom that can be heard at a considerable distance from the point of the celestial body’s disintegration.
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