What is a bolide? Dashcam videos show bright flash as meteor triggers explosion-like boom in Boston and Rhode Island

The explosions and the boom sounds heard by the residents could be the result of “a rather significant bolide/meteor entering the atmosphere.”

On Saturday, a loud explosion was heard by several Boston residents. Residents said they felt shaking and heard powerful blasts throughout Eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

The explosions and the boom sounds heard by the residents could be the result of “a rather significant bolide/meteor entering the atmosphere.” (Unsplash)

USGS has not reported an earthquake, but buildings were believed to be trembling. A local on X wrote, “Police are unsure what just happened. No confirmed visible fire or smoke yet.”

According to posts shared online, people in areas including Brighton, Somerville, Medford, Melrose, Southborough, and other nearby communities reported hearing the sound nearly simultaneously. Some residents also claimed they felt vibrations inside their homes.

One Reddit user wrote that they heard a boom that “shook everything in my room.” The user wrote, “I’m near Brighton, and I just felt a rumble and heard a boom that shook everything in my room. It did not sound like thunder, and too deadened and far away to shake my room. Anyone know what happened?”

What is a bolide?

A bolide is an exceptionally bright meteor that often explodes in the atmosphere with significant energy. These objects, which can be anything from solid rocks to frozen masses, heat up when they enter the atmosphere at high speeds. They are called fireballs if they flash brighter than Venus, and meteors if they release light throughout this process.

Therefore, according to astronomers, bolides are bright fireballs or meteors that explode in the atmosphere before it reaches the ground; superbolides are especially bright examples. Bolides can produce dramatic flashes, sonic booms, and even fragmentation events visible across large geographic areas.

Some bolides can inflict serious harm, while many break apart without causing any harm. One noteworthy incident was in Chelyabinsk, Russia, on February 15, 2013, when a bolide detonated with a force equivalent to 500 kilotons of TNT, injuring almost 1,000 people and destroying hundreds of buildings.

Booms were also heard in South Carolina and Rhode Island

Rhode Island also reported hearing what sounded like an explosion and possibly a sonic boom. The sound was noticed on social media by a number of locals. Like Boston, there isn't any definite action, though.

A strong boom rocked homes and structures throughout the Midlands region on Thursday, shocking people in central South Carolina.

Witnesses claimed to have heard and felt the impact from several locations spread throughout the state when the inexplicable sound was reported at 5:30 PM. Columbia, Lexington, Sumter, Camden, Blythewood, North Augusta, and Darlington County were among the places from which reports were received, indicating that the incident affected a fairly wide area.

According to ABC News, the USGS verified that the rattling, which started at 5:24 p.m. at Saint Andrews, was consistent with a sonic boom rather than an earthquake.

What could be the cause behind the explosion?

The GOES-19 satellite spotted a large flash that doesn't appear to be associated with thunderstorm activity. According to Nick Stewart, a meteorologist and wind analyst on X, the explosions and the boom sounds heard by the residents could be the result of “a rather significant bolide/meteor entering the atmosphere.”

Stewart wrote, "The flash density product really shows this anomalous 'flash' which is pretty distinctive of a bolide/meteor reentry. east of Boston. This is the likely source of the loud boom/explosion."

However, authorities have not confirmed a specific cause behind the explosion at the time of reporting.