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Meteor explodes over Massachusetts: New details on size, where it landed

Hacker News·4 months ago
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Reports of an explosion from people across New England on Saturday afternoon sent police agencies and others scrambling to understand what caused a double boom that shook buildings in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. NASA shared new details on the size and path of the meteor on Monday, upgrading the size of the object and revealing how far it flew before exploding. The meteor was about five feet wide, according to the space agency, with a mass of 5.6 metric tons. (That's about the weight of a large elephant.) Traveling at about 42,000 mph when it entered the atmosphere at 2:06 p.m., the meteor streaked through the sky for 26 miles, headed from northwest to southeast. The flaming object, confirmed to be made of natural material, as opposed to a satellite or space debris, broke up 31 miles above sea level with force equivalent to 230 tons of TNT, and the meteorite fell into Cape Cod Bay. UPDATE: @NASA can confirm a fireball over New England at 2:06 p.m. EDT on Saturday, May 30, 2026.…

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