BREAKING: We can confirm that it was an EXPLODING METEOR that produced a sonic boom over eastern Massachusetts and much of Southern New England at 2:07 p.m. Eastern time.
It was cloudy, so there weren't reliable reports. The American Meteor Society has logged several reports of the boom.
United States Geological Survey data confirms it was NOT an earthquake.
The GOES East weather satellite has a geostationary lightning mapper that can detect infrared light emissions. At 2:07 p.m., it plotted a line of simultaneous lightning strikes in a 50 mile-long line. That would be highly unusual for lightning. While there was lightning south of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, this was NOT the correct region of the overall storm for lightning, nonetheless a 50 mile-long stretch of it, to occur.
As such, we are comfortable calling this an EXPLODING METEOR. The satellites detected the infrared light emissions.
A few fragments likely fell to earth, but we're reviewing additional eyewitness data and radar data to determine the exact trajectory. (If it was moving southbound as it exploded, then a spattering of fragments probably fell on the Cape.)
[CHELSEA - EASTIE]
2 masked young dudes in shiesties pulled a KNIFE robbed a T rider on board the #116 @MBTA bus. They snatched vict's real @Cartier watch then hopped off on MERIDIAN near LEXINGTON. BPD sliding that way heavy, dudes dipped, BPD and @MBTATransitPD flooding that area.
#931pm
Traffic Advisory: Columbus Avenue is closed from Heath Street to Amory Street due to a water main break in the area. Vehicular and pedestrian traffic are asked to please seek alternate routes.
There will never be another Atlantic hurricane known as Melissa, the World Meteorological Organization says.
Find out what the new name is: https://t.co/kSu0SxECo8