On May 30, residents of New England were scared by a loud double explosion so powerful that it shook buildings in the U.S. states of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. This unexpected event prompted local police and other emergency services to urgently investigate the cause of the incident.
The American Meteorological Society quickly reassured the public: the explosions heard around 2:30 p.m. local time were of extraterrestrial origin. They were caused by a meteoroid about a meter wide that entered the atmosphere at a speed of 120,000 km/h north of Boston, near the border between New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
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The loud explosion that shook Boston and surrounding areas was a bright daytime bolide (fireball meteor) that airburst high over the Massachusetts coast.
GOES-19 satellite captured the flash.
USGS confirms no earthquake.
No damage, injuries, or ground impact… pic.twitter.com/AqRjNlir9k
— Public News X (@PublicNewsX) May 30, 2026
Robert Lunsford, the fire safety program coordinator, reported that the organization had received dozens of reports from a vast area stretching from Delaware to Montreal. Eyewitnesses reported the following:
- They heard a loud double explosion.
- They felt the ground shake noticeably.
- They saw a fireball that looked like a bright shooting star against the daytime sky.
Experts still need more information about its trajectory, but it is noted that most such objects burn up in the atmosphere before reaching the surface. If the space rock survived, it most likely fell into the ocean.
Network response and data from seismologists
WATCH: 3-foot wide meteor enters atmosphere near Massachusetts and New Hampshire border causing loud boom over Boston pic.twitter.com/rP1uJHIKTj
— Rapid Report (@RapidReport2025) May 31, 2026
Residents across several states shared their experiences en masse on social media, describing how buildings were shaking. Several videos appeared on X clearly capturing the sound of two rapid explosions with no signs of smoke or fire.
The physical impact of the wave prompted many people to report their experiences to the U.S. Geological Survey. Agency spokesperson Steve Sobey confirmed that these reports had been logged at the National Earthquake Information Center and that a special “Did You Feel It?” page had been created on their website. However, he emphasized that seismographs did not detect any seismic activity. This officially confirms that the noticeable tremor was not caused by an earthquake.
We previously explained the difference between a meteor, a meteoroid, a meteorite, and an asteroid.
According to DW
