NASA has released new information about the meteor that exploded over the northeastern United States last Saturday (30). The luminous phenomenon disintegrated at high altitude, causing no damage beyond frightening residents in the region. On Monday, the agency provided some details.
The object was approximately 1.52 meters wide, larger than initially estimated. Its mass was comparable to that of an elephant. The speed at which it entered the atmosphere was about 67,600 kilometers per hour. The meteor traveled about 41.8 kilometers before disintegrating and falling.
After crossing the atmosphere, the object fell into Cape Cod Bay in southeastern Massachusetts. People near this region could hear the roar, as the explosion released energy equivalent to about 230 tons of TNT, according to scientists' estimates. According to NASA, this type of event is relatively common but may go unnoticed when it occurs in sparsely populated areas or over oceans.
The US agency confirmed that the phenomenon was caused by a meteor entering Earth's atmosphere. It also confirmed it was composed of natural material and ruled out any connection to a meteor shower or the re-entry of space debris or satellites.
A resident of Peabody, Massachusetts, reported that it had been a very windy day and that at first they thought a large tree had fallen on their house. When they went outside, they discovered many neighbors were also outside trying to figure out the same thing. In some regions, people also thought it was an earthquake, which was not confirmed as there were no recorded ground tremors.
The American Meteor Society also received dozens of reports from a vast region stretching from Delaware to Montreal, Canada. Some witnesses heard the double explosion, others felt ground vibrations, and many saw the bright fireball streak across the sky before disappearing.
With La Nacion, ANSA, and AP.
