A meteorite exploded over northern Vermont on Sunday night – shaking buildings with an energy release equivalent to 440 kilograms of TNT, officials said.
The fireball was seen by hundreds of witnesses as it rose through the atmosphere to 42,000 miles per hour, NASA said in a Facebook post.
The space rock was first seen about 52 miles above the state forest of Mount Mansfield before burning over Orleans County, about 33 miles into the sky.
“The space rock fragmented violently, producing a pressure wave that shook the buildings and generated the sound heard by those close to the trajectory,” NASA said in its Facebook post.
“A beautiful little fireworks, courtesy of Mother Nature,” the agency said.
An observer told WPTZ that he did not hear any pockets in the fireball as he spun.
“No sound was heard,” Al Gregoritsch told reporters. “I was just happy to see her. It is a phenomenon I will never forget. ”