Just one day after a mysterious sonic boom rattled South Carolina and was felt across the Charlotte region, a confirmed meteor explosion over New England produced remarkably similar reports of loud blasts, shaking homes, and confused residents wondering what happened.
On Saturday afternoon, residents across Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and the Boston area reported hearing powerful explosions around 2:06 p.m. Many initially thought an earthquake had struck.
According to NASA, a meteor entered Earth’s atmosphere at approximately 75,000 mph before breaking apart 40 miles above northeastern Massachusetts and southeastern New Hampshire.
The explosion released energy equivalent to about 300 tons of TNT, generating two massive sonic booms that were detected across the region.
🚨 WOW! Another video of the “explosion” in the Boston area really captures how LOUD the boom was
It’s looking like the cause was a “significant” meteor crashing through the atmosphere and burning up, as indicated by heat signatures via satellite, per @NStewWX
This has not yet… pic.twitter.com/qYhdxN0yDc
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) May 30, 2026
The event has drawn comparisons to South Carolina’s unexplained boom on May 29.
Shortly before 5:30 p.m. Friday, hundreds of residents across central South Carolina reported hearing an explosion-like sound. Reports came from Irmo, Sumter, Florence, and numerous communities in between.
Many residents said the boom was powerful enough to shake walls, roofs, and windows.
Although some initially suspected an earthquake, none was detected. Later that evening, the United States Geological Survey issued a rare notice identifying the event as a sonic boom.
Both National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the American Meteor Society said they were investigating the South Carolina incident, but no official cause has been announced.
There is currently no evidence connecting the two events. However, the confirmed meteor explosion over New England demonstrates how a fast-moving object high in the atmosphere can create a shockwave strong enough to be heard and felt across multiple states.
For now, South Carolina’s mystery boom remains unsolved
