Speeding Fireball Above Vermont Caused Shockwaves [Video]

• Over 100 people in Vermont and Canada reported seeing a speeding fireball in the sky, followed by a loud boom.
• NASA explained that the fireball was most likely an asteroid fragment.
• The space object traveled about 42,000 miles per hour for about 33 miles, producing “a pressure wave that rattled buildings and generated the sound heard by” onlookers.

A fireball sent shockwaves across Vermont as it traveled about 42,000 miles per hour through the sky.

More than 100 people in Vermont and in Canada witnessed the phenomenon, reporting a loud boom and rattling buildings.

According to NASA Meteor Watch, the “fireball” most likely fragmented from an asteroid. It appeared around 5:38 p.m. EST about 52 miles above Mount Mansfield State Forest.

As it traveled through the Earth’s atmosphere, the pressure built up on its front while a partial vacuum formed behind it. As this pressure difference grew, its structural strength grew weaker.

NASA explained on Facebook, “The space rock fragmented violently, producing a pressure wave that rattled buildings and generated the sound heard by those near the trajectory.”

The pressure wave caused minor ground tremors and sound waves. Scientists were able to analyze infrasound measurements to determine that the space object had a diameter of 6 inches and a weight of about 10 lbs.

NASA described the object as “a nice little firework, courtesy of Mother Nature.”

Several commented about their sighting on NASA’s post, with some expressing their initial confusion.

One comment read, “I thought it was a missile. Almost [in the] blink of an eye [it was] gone. So very awesome that I was able to see it.”

One witness from Colchester shared that he saw the fireball from his window and heard a loud boom about 90 seconds later.

He commented, “It was super bright white and broke up into a few pieces.”

Meanwhile in South Burlington, about eight miles away, Al Gregoritsch reported seeing it but not hearing any sound. He told NBC affiliate WPTZ, “I was very excited to see it. It’s a phenomenon I will never forget.”

According to NASA, the space object traveled through the Earth’s upper atmosphere for about 33 miles before burning up above Beach Hill, Orleans County.

Source: People