Explosion with the power of 300 tons of TNT: NASA reveals details of the bolide that fell over the US

The loud boom heard by residents of Massachusetts, USA, on May 30 turned out to be the result of a large bolide disintegrating in Earth's atmosphere. According to NASA, the space object was traveling at speeds exceeding 120,000 km/h and exploded in the upper atmosphere with energy equivalent to approximately 300 tons of TNT. This was reported by Ixbt.com .

The fireball broke apart at an altitude of 64.3 km over northeastern Massachusetts and southeastern New Hampshire. The massive energy released by its fragmentation created a powerful shockwave, which was perceived by people on the ground as a loud explosion or an earthquake.

Agency experts emphasized that this event was related to a natural celestial body, not space debris or a defunct satellite. Unable to withstand the immense pressure upon entering the atmosphere, the meteorite disintegrated in mid-air.

Earlier, the American Meteor Society also reported that the mysterious boom was linked to a meteor fall. Experts believe such events occur regularly, but only a few are accompanied by an explosion powerful enough to be heard by the population of an entire region.