Meteor explodes with 300-ton TNT force, shaking parts of Massachusetts

The incident was confirmed by NASA, which said the meteor, also known as a "fireball," was detected at approximately 2:06 p.m.

"The meteor appears to have fragmented at an altitude of about 40 miles over northeast Massachusetts and southeast New Hampshire. The energy released at breakup is estimated to be equivalent to roughly 300 tons of TNT, which accounts for the loud noise," NASA said in a statement quoted by ABC News.

A NASA spokesperson told the broadcaster that the fireball was not associated with any active meteor shower. The agency added that it was a natural celestial object and not space debris or a satellite re-entering Earth's atmosphere.

Several residents reported hearing a loud boom, while videos capturing the sound and reactions were widely shared on social media.

The Watertown Police Department posted on X: "We are getting numerous reports from residents of hearing a loud boom sound. It was heard over the eastern part of the state. Unknown origin. No reports of hazards at this time."

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) later attributed the event to a suspected bolide, a particularly bright meteor that explodes in the atmosphere.

"This event is a widely felt sonic boom from a suspected bolide. Unlike earthquakes, which occur at a discrete location within the Earth, sonic boom events occur along a linear path in the atmosphere. Therefore, the location provided is an approximation," the USGS said in a statement.

The agency added that while the event was recorded on seismic sensors, traditional earthquake magnitudes are not suitable for measuring atmospheric phenomena and, therefore, no magnitude was assigned."This event is a widely felt sonic boom from a suspected bolide. Unlike earthquakes which occur at discrete location in the earth, sonic boom events occur along a linear path in the atmosphere. Therefore, the location provided is an approximation. While recorded on seismic sensors, traditional earthquake magnitudes are not appropriate for measuring atmospheric events. No magnitude is assigned," the statement said.