An explosion reported in Boston has been linked by meteorologists to a meteor entering the atmosphere. Residents across Massachusetts and Rhode Island described hearing a 'very loud boom' around 2:30 p.m. EDT on Saturday.
Spaceflight meteorologist Nick Stewart posted on X that the event was likely 'a rather significant bolide/meteor entering the atmosphere,' noting a large flash detected by GOES-19 GLM that did not correlate with active thunderstorms. He added that the flash density product showed an anomalous flash distinctive of a bolide or meteor reentry east of Boston.
NBC10 meteorologist Pamela Gardner also suggested the boom could be a bolide or meteor, stating on X: 'Big explosion/boom around Boston. GLM from GOES 19 shows possible meteor or bolide entering the atmosphere. There is no lightning in this current storm, no earthquake from USGS.'
WBZ-TV Chief Meteorologist Eric Fisher corroborated the theory, saying a meteor exploded off the coast of Massachusetts. The US Geological Survey confirmed no earthquake activity, and no thunderstorms were in the area at the time.
