Meteor Creates Sonic Boom Over Massachusetts

A bright meteor appeared over Massachusetts and then disintegrated high in the atmosphere. Witnesses reported hearing a sonic boom shortly after it broke apart, showing how fast-moving space debris can create shock waves in the air. According to NASA, the meteor released energy comparable to about 300 tons of TNT when it fragmented. That estimate helps scientists translate a brief, distant event into a measurable amount of force. The sonic boom is not the meteor “exploding” like a bomb; it is the result of the object’s rapid motion and the sudden changes as it breaks up. Researchers rely on public reports and agency data to reconstruct the meteor’s path and timing. By studying events like this, they can better understand how meteoroids interact with Earth’s atmosphere and improve methods for tracking near-Earth objects before they enter our skies.