Granite State Times

Residents from New Hampshire and Massachusetts reported hearing a strange "boom" along with the ground shaking on Oct. 10, and a Bay State meteorologist is attributing the phenomenon to a low-flying meteor.

WCVB5 Meteorologist Mike Wankum explained on the air Oct. 11 that at 11:21 a.m. the day before, a satellite used for lightning strikes detected a flash of light, despite a lack of storms. Wankum speculates the meteor was less than 30 miles from the ground, which caused the loud boom between a minute and a half to four minutes after it exploded in the atmosphere. Wankum described the atmosphere as being “very active” and explained there are several meteor showers currently underway, including the Draconid and Orionid meteor showers.

“It’s called a bolide,” Wankum told WCVB5 viewers on Oct. 11. “It’s a large meteor or fireball that actually explodes in the atmosphere.”

According to the National Earthquake Information Center, there were no reports of earthquakes or seismic activity in New England last week. The noise worried some residents and officials, with online theories including an earthquake, a plane or even a "gender reveal" party gone wrong, according to StrangeSounds.org.

Some reported that they could feel the boom in their chests and that it shook houses. The website also reported that New Boston Fire Chief Daniel MacDonald heard the boom and felt a small vibration. The New Boston police then received calls about the noise. 

Weston Observatory Scientist John Ebel also believes it may have been a meteor. “I would look for a natural event, something coming into the atmosphere past the speed of sound,” Ebel told WMUR9. “Meteor, meteorite, probably causing enough energy to be released that people heard it here down on the ground."