Meteor Explosion Causes Shaking and Loud Boom Over Parts of New York
Anyone feel that? Reports began to roll in late morning Tuesday of a loud boom heard over parts of New York and the Tri-State area. One of the first possible explanations could be another earthquake, like the 4.8 magnitude tremor that shook New York and the East Coast last spring.
But this doesn't appear to be an earthquake, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Could be thunder? Or possibly some sort of a military exercise? Or perhaps something else?
What Was That Loud Boom Heard Over Parts of New York State?
Residents from New York and New Jersey reported a loud boom and shaking Tuesday morning.
Some took to social media platforms such as Reddit to ask what the shakeup was about and to see if anyone had any answers. A few users responded, saying they witnessed something that appeared to be a meteor burning up in the sky, according to the Asbury Park Press.
The United States Geological Survey, which monitors for earthquakes, says this was no quake. The USGS says that "an examination of the seismic data in the area showed no evidence of an earthquake."
They went on to say that "past reports of shaking with no associated seismic signal have had atmospheric origins such as sonic booms or weather-related phenomena.”
See Also: Police Search For Source of Loud Boom Heard in Parts of the Hudson Valley
However, NBC says when they reached out to the Department of Defense, a press officer at the Pentagon said they were "not tracking anything that could be responsible for the reports".
NORAD also tells NBC New York that they were not tracking any activity either. NASA reportedly did not respond back to another affiliate such as PIX11.
Did a Meteor or Fireball Blow Up Over New York City?
Could the explosions (or, explosions) have been caused by a meteor exploding? NASA's Meteor Watch Facebook website said that there were reports of a fireball, and "booms and shakings" between 10 AM and noon Tuesday
NASA says that based on this data, they estimated that the fireball was first sighted at an altitude of 49 miles above Upper Bay. Early reports say that the object traveling at 38,000 MPH descended over the Statue of Liberty before disintegrating 29 miles above midtown Manhattan.
The American Meteor Society's website also received a number of reports of something around that time Tuesday.
See Also: Did a Meteor Explode Over New York State in 2019?
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Gallery Credit: Credit - Polly McAdams