That loud noise and potential shaking you heard and felt yesterday? That was
potentially from the meteor over New York and New Jersey.
NASA has confirmed that on the morning of July 16, 2024, a meteor entered
into the atmosphere and disintegrated over the New York City area. Military activities
coincided with the timeframe of the meteor, which may have amplified any shaking and
noise.
The meteor caused no damage or harm, as no meteorites came from the
event.
Bill Cooke from NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office said, “You have to have
one bright enough, and it has to be right over New York to get all that
attention. Daytime fireballs are fairly rare and New Yorkers got to see one this
morning.”
The meteor disintegrated at roughly 29 miles above Manhattan, which is
slightly closer than most. Meteors usually disintegrate between 31 and 56
miles from the Earth’s surface.
The American Meteor Society said that a daylight fireball is a meteor bright
enough to be seen even in the daytime. It burns brighter than the sun as it
passes through the atmosphere.
There is no need to worry about this event, or future meteors, as they are
completely natural and not that common. Typically, they make an impact
over the ocean, as that makes up most of the Earth’s surface.
These daytime fireballs are completely unpredictable, as the time, size, and
location is undeterminable. The meteor was seen by few yesterday, due to its
unexpected arrival. It was unknown at the time of disintegration what the object was.
For those who did see it, most people will not experience this event, so consider it a
streak of luck.
