A meteor likely either “exploded or vaporized” over the city on Saturday, a meteorologist said, setting off a strong vibration that one resident likened to a “shock wave.”
A flash that was not associated with lightning was detected over southwestern Pennsylvania on Saturday, according to meteorologists.Credit...National Weather Service
A meteor hurtling through Earth's atmosphere exploded over Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on New Year's Day (Jan. 1).
Just before 11:30 a.m. EST (1630 GMT) on Jan. 1, people in Pittsburgh heard what sounded like a loud "boom" outside. Reports described windows rattling and objects shaking in their homes, according to CBS Pittsburgh. The sudden blast surprised those living in the Pittsburgh area as the meteor broke up in the cloudy morning sky.
The loud bang was actually a bolide, a term for a large meteor that explodes in our atmosphere, burst apart with the energy of 30 tons of TNT detonating, according to NASA's Meteor Watch.
Equivalent to '30 tons of TNT': Meteor explodes in Pennsylvania on New Year's Day
Equivalent to '30 tons of TNT': Meteor explodes in Pennsylvania on New Year's Day
Michelle ShenUSA TODAY
On New Year's Day, people in southwestern Pennsylvania heard an explosion around 11:20 a.m. EST.
An initial tweet by the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh said the most likely explanation was a "meteor explosion."
People all over Pittsburgh took to social media, saying the boom was incredibly loud and shook their house. Others posted footage capturing the crackling sounds of the explosion.
The National Weather Service Pittsburgh noticed a flash captured by its satellite's Geostationary Lightning Mapper in neighboring Washington County.
"This flash does not appear to be connected to any lightning activity in the area. One possible explanation is that a meteor exploded at some level above the ground," the weather service said in a post on Facebook.
