Sonic Boom Heard Across NJ and NY
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KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Just after noon, residents of New Jersey and New York were startled by a huge boom. The source was first unknown.
- Social media was rife with speculation from residents who wondered if it was just another earthquake.
- Based on available data, NASA Meteoroid Environments Office chief Bill Cooke provided an estimate. Cooke initially saw the fireball above Upper Bay, east of Greenville Yard, at a height of 49 miles.
A loud boom startled residents of New Jersey and New York shortly after noon. At first, the source remained unknown. There was a lot of conjecture on social media, with locals wondering if it was another earthquake, similar to the one that occurred in early April. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) refuted this assertion, nevertheless.
The boom caused a lot of talk since it was especially noticeable in the counties of Monmouth and Ocean. Bill Cooke, the head of NASA’s Meteoroid Environments Office, offered an estimate based on the information at hand. Cooke reported seeing the fireball for the first time east of Greenville Yard, over Upper Bay, at a height of 49 miles. At a speed of 34,000 miles per hour, the meteor descended at an angle of 18 degrees from vertical as it moved east-northeast. It broke apart 29 miles over downtown Manhattan, flying over the Statue of Liberty.
NASA characterized their numerous sightings-based estimate of the meteor’s route as “very crude.” When the fireball first appeared above New York Harbor, it was moving at a speed of 34,000 miles per hour. It dropped rapidly and then broke apart above Manhattan. NASA and NBC New York assessments indicate that the meteor most likely burst 29 miles over Manhattan’s downtown.
The precise course was unknown, having only been reported by eyewitnesses. Authorities verified that the incident did not produce any meteorites.
According to Chief Meteorologist Lee Goldberg, the heat and high temperatures may have aided in the sound’s passage. Tuesday morning saw a little inversion, which is a temperature increase with height. It’s possible that this inversion helped the sound travel. Warm air allows sound waves to move more quickly than cold air, intensifying the sound. Sound waves travel more swiftly through warmer air because warmer molecules vibrate more energetically.
The area’s widespread shaking was addressed by the USGS. There have been reports of shaking on Staten Island, New York, and northeastern New Jersey to the USGS National Earthquake Information Center. Analysis of seismic data revealed no signs of an earthquake. The USGS was unable to determine the source of the tremors.
