A meteor whizzed through the skies of Northern Vermont on Sunday evening, traveling at an estimated speed of 42,000 miles per hour, CNN reports.
According to Live Science, the meteor’s explosive journey through the atmosphere released an energy equivalent of 440 pounds of TNT, suggesting that the space rock probably weighed about 10 pounds and was about 6 inches in diameter.
The falling meteor set off a spectacular light show, fragmenting so violently that it shook cars and buildings across the state, according to CBS News.
CNN reports that more than 100 people saw the fireball as it shot through the twilight sky at around 5:38 p.m. local time.
What Vermonters Says
“Not a loud bang as reported by others, but a rushing sound that made me look up at just the right time,” Chris Hrotic wrote in a comment on the NASA Meteor Watch Facebook page (via Live Science). “It was extraordinarily bright and absolutely spectacular!”
According to Newsweek, another commenter said, “I had just left my front door in Fairfax with my dogs around 5:40 PM. Then what sounded like a massive explosion and it kept rattling for at least 15-20 seconds. My little dog was terrified and my big dog kept growling. “
According to the Boston Globe, Jeremy LaClair was also out walking his dog when the meteor whizzed past. “It sounded like a bomb had gone off,” he said. A few hours after the event, LaClair posted a video of it the fireball on Twitter.
For anyone wondering about the big boom / meteor earlier today in #btv #Vermont , I searched some webcam images and found this on the WCAX / BTV Airport webcam – look at the top left. pic.twitter.com/oyVLSoVahP
– Jeremy LaClair (@JeremyLaclair) March 8, 2021
NASA’s response
In a post on the NASA Meteor Watch Facebook page, the agency said the meteor first appeared 52 miles above Vermont’s northern sky, traveling northeast at a speed of 42,000 miles per hour. The rock traversed 33 miles through Earth’s upper atmosphere before burning over Orleans County.
In a later post, the agency added, “The space rock shattered violently, producing a pressure wave that rattled buildings and produced the sound heard by those near the trajectory. … Such a pressure wave can also enter the ground and cause small ‘vibrations’ that can be picked up by seismic instruments in the area ”(via CBS News).
According to CBS News, NASA described the event as “a fun little fireworks display, courtesy of Mother Nature.”