Did a meteor really explode over Pittsburgh? Loud boom compared to 30 tons of TNT

A meteor explosion equivalent to 30 Tons of TNT reportedly startled residents in Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania on the very first day of 2022. Around 11:20 am ET on January 1, 2022, a loud boom was heard across the city, leaving residents shocked and scared. Later, NASA revealed the event to be a meteor explosion, which happened as the celestial body was traveling above the earth at about 45,000 miles per hour. 

It was estimated to be around three feet in diameter and whizzed through the atmosphere before exploding loudly, a rare astronomical event that was witnessed by Pittsburgh. Residents later shared their experiences on social media as many revealed their houses also felt tremors at the time of the explosion. A viral video of a young girl shows the light in her room turn off momentarily as a deafening loud noise is heard in the background. 

READ MORE

Stargazing events in November: From Taurid meteor showers to spotting Mercury twice, November can be an astronomer's delight

How, when and where to watch the amazing Delta Aquariids meteor shower

Many scared residents even ended up calling 911 after the incident, while others took to social media to share about the bizarre event. However, officials assured everyone that there were no imminent signs of an earthquake, natural calamity, or man-made explosion. The National Weather Service Pittsburgh later revealed that their Geostationary Lightning Mapper satellite have captured a flash, which is believed to be a meteor explosion. "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," they speculated before NASA issued a confirmation. 

"The loud explosion heard over SW PA earlier may have been a meteor explosion. This GOES-16 GLM Total Optical Energy product shows a flash that was not associated with lightning. No confirmation, but this is the most likely explanation at this time," they tweeted. 

NASA noted that the fireball was about "100 times brighter than a full moon" and would have been easily visible in the daylight sky if there were no clouds that day. 

Reporter Mike Wereschagin tweeted, "That New Year's Day boom heard 'round the Pittsburgh region? NASA says a 1,000-lb meteor moving 45,000 mph broke apart in a blast equivalent to 30 tons of TNT. I'm not usually an omens guy but..."

"Having a meteor burning up right above Pittsburgh on the first day of 2022 would be a wild start to the new year, that's for sure," another user noted. A third user reminded of the recent Netflix release 'Don't Look Up' which deals with an earth-shattering comet, "So a meteor exploded over Pittsburgh huh #DontLookUp."