On Saturday, a meteorite heading towards Earth exploded in the northeastern United States. NASA reported that the explosion caused loud noises in the area and released energy equivalent to approximately 300 tons of TNT.
elchi reports that NASA Deputy News Director Jennifer Dooren stated in an interview with AFP that the fireball broke apart at 14:06 local time (21:06 Turkish time) over northeastern Massachusetts and southeastern New Hampshire.
Dooren stated, “This fireball is not currently associated with any active meteor shower. It is a completely natural object; it is not a case of space debris or a satellite entering the atmosphere. The energy released during the fragmentation is estimated to be equivalent to approximately 300 tons of TNT, which explains the loud explosion sounds heard.” Dooren noted that the asteroid was traveling at a speed of over 120,000 kilometers per hour (75,000 miles per hour) when it entered the atmosphere, and the explosion occurred at an altitude of approximately 64 kilometers (40 miles). Residents were panicked by the sudden and loud noises, while social media users reported that the explosion was strong enough to shake houses.
Reminded of the Chelyabinsk incident
According to NASA data, the house-sized asteroid at that time broke apart at an altitude of 22 kilometers (14 miles) from the ground, releasing energy equivalent to approximately 440,000 tons of TNT.
The explosion in Russia caused windows to shatter over an area of 518 square kilometers and resulted in more than 1,600 people being injured, mainly due to broken glass.
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