Fireball Over MA Was Elephant-Sized Meteor, NASA Says

The fireball seen streaking over New England Saturday afternoon was a meteor the size of an elephant, NASA revealed.

"The meteor was about 5 feet (1.6 meters) in diameter with a mass of 5.6 metric tons and entered Earth’s atmosphere at roughly 42,000 mph," according to NASA.

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Related: Fireball Streaks Over Rhode Island

The American Meteor Society — "Report a Fireball: it's fun and easy!" — logged 83 reports from witnesses to the fireball that was seen shortly after 2 p.m.

There were also reports of a loud boom.

Related: Mysterious Boom Heard Across MA Was An Exploding Meteor, Experts Say

"Based on the latest data, the energy released at breakup is estimated to be equivalent to about 230 tons of TNT, which accounts for the sonic boom," NASA said.

The fireball was also seen over Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ontario, Quebec and Vermont, according to the American Meteor Society.

"The meteor traveled through the atmosphere from northwest to southeast for 26 miles before breaking up at an altitude of 31 miles and producing a meteorite fall into Cape Cod Bay," according to NASA.

See Also: Saturday’s Meteorite Was ‘Fishy Squisher’ And NASA Knows Where To Find It In Cape Cod Bay