A startling daylight fireball meteor likely caused a loud boom that rattled residents in parts of New York City and New Jersey on Tuesday morning, according to NASA officials.

The event occurred at 11:17 a.m. ET and was visible during daylight, a phenomenon due to the meteor’s brightness surpassing that of the sun as it burned through the Earth’s atmosphere. The American Meteor Society explains that such brightness allows the fireball to be seen even against the daylight sky.

NASA’s Meteor Watch team tracked the meteor’s path, estimating that it flew at an altitude of 49 miles above the Upper Bay near Greenville Yard in Jersey City. It then soared past the Statue of Liberty at a staggering speed of 34,000 miles per hour before appearing to disintegrate approximately 29 miles above Midtown Manhattan.

Despite the dramatic scene, NASA confirmed that the meteor broke apart completely; no meteorite fragments were found following the event. The trajectory reported by NASA was based on limited eyewitness accounts, with officials noting the need for further data to refine their initial findings.

Intriguingly, the agency also mentioned that military activity reported in the vicinity at the time could explain the additional shaking and sounds experienced by the locals, as noted by various media reports.

The impact of the event stretched from southern New Jersey to parts of Queens and Brooklyn, with NYC Emergency Management reporting no damage or injuries related to the incident. Aries Dela Cruz from NYCEM highlighted the absence of any adverse effects in a social media post on X.

This celestial event underscores the dynamic and occasionally surprising nature of our planet’s interaction with the cosmos, leaving a memorable mark on those who experienced it.

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