Meteorologists Reveal What Caused Mystery Boom That Shook New England

XA loud boom that shook homes and buildings rang out Saturday afternoon across New England. Weather experts say it was likely caused by an exploding meteor that burned up while entering Earth’s atmosphere just east of Boston. Noise from the meteor’s journey to Earth traveled far and wide, with reports of the boom coming from Boston, Cambridge, Medford, Cape Cod, and into Rhode Island. While no visible debris has been reported so far, residents of the affected areas inundated local newsrooms with calls to report the incident—and spread the word more broadly on social media platforms. The sonic boom, initially thought to have been caused by an explosion, was quickly identified as caused by a meteor through satellite imagery from NOAA’s GOES-East satellite. WBZ-TV chief meteorologist Eric Fisher confirmed via an Instagram post that the noise “was a meteor that exploded... just off the South Shore, outside of Boston.” He added: “We can tell because of satellite data.” No thunder or storm conditions were reported in the area, and the flashes recorded by NOAA were consistent with a bolide meteor—a very bright exploding meteor. Bolides are relatively common and can produce a loud boom along with their distinct flash of light. View this post on Instagram Read it at CBS NewsRead more at The Daily Beast.