Pittsburgh starts the new year with a bang! Meteor explodes over the Pennsylvania city on Jan 1 that was equivalent to '30 TONS of TNT'

  • NASA confirmed the loud boom and bright flash over Pittsburgh on Jan 1 was a meteor exploding
  • The event happened around 11:20am ET, which shook houses in the area 
  • NASA said the explosion released during Saturday's event was equivalent to 30 tons of TNT
  • The meteor is also believed to have traveled 45,000 mph before evaporating  

By STACY LIBERATORE, US SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EDITOR and ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: | Updated:

Residents of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania started off the new year with a bang when a meteor loudly exploded over the city around 11:20am ET on January 1, 2022.

NASA revealed on Monday that the explosion released during Saturday's event was equivalent to 30 tons of TNT.

The agency also estimates the meteor was traveling about 45,000 miles per hour as it whizzed through the atmosphere and it was likely about three feet in diameter.

Many residents shared their experience on social media, with the loud boom being clearly heard in several videos.

Along with the loud boom, some residents also felt their homes shake when the meteor exploded. 

Residents of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania started off the new year with a bang when a meteor loudly exploded over the city around 11:20am ET on January 1, 2022. This GOES-16 GLM Total Optical Energy product shows a flash (pictured) that was not associated with lightning

Residents of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania started off the new year with a bang when a meteor loudly exploded over the city around 11:20am ET on January 1, 2022. This GOES-16 GLM Total Optical Energy product shows a flash (pictured) that was not associated with lightning

The National Weather Service Pittsburgh noticed a flash captured by their satellite's Geostationary Lightning Mapper function in Washington County, a neighboring county of Pittsburgh.

'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,' said the National Weather Service Pittsburgh in a Saturday post on Facebook.

The loud boom, however, sparked several 9-11 calls on New Year's Day, but officials assured residents that no seismic activity, inclement weather or signs of detonation were identified.

NASA said that if it were not for a cloudy day, 'the fireball would have been easily visible in the daylight sky,' noting that data shows it was about 100 times bringer than a full moon.

NASA revealed on Monday that the explosion released during Saturday's event was equivalent to 30 tons of TNT. The agency also estimates the meteor was traveling about 45,000 miles per hour as it whizzed through the atmosphere and it was likely about three feet in diameter

NASA revealed on Monday that the explosion released during Saturday's event was equivalent to 30 tons of TNT. The agency also estimates the meteor was traveling about 45,000 miles per hour as it whizzed through the atmosphere and it was likely about three feet in diameter

Many residents shared their experience on social media, with the loud boom being clearly heard in several videos

Many residents shared their experience on social media, with the loud boom being clearly heard in several videos

Pittsburgh Weather Service meteorologist Chris Leonardi told The New York Times he believed the meteor likely 'exploded or vaporized.'

After NASA and the weather service revealed the loud boom came from a meteor, many Pittsburgh residents took to social media to share their thoughts about the event.

Pam Mandel tweeted: 'So a meteor exploded over Pittsburgh and fish are falling from the sky in texarkana and we *still* have a plague and honestly, can we just fire the entire writers room and get a new crew? coz this plot line isn't working for me anymore.'

After NASA and the weather service revealed the loud boom came from a meteor, many Pittsburgh residents took to social media to share their thoughts about the event. The falling fish are in reference to storms that scooped up fish in Texarkana and dropped them off throughout the town

After NASA and the weather service revealed the loud boom came from a meteor, many Pittsburgh residents took to social media to share their thoughts about the event. The falling fish are in reference to storms that scooped up fish in Texarkana and dropped them off throughout the town

Another user, Neal Sprissler, jokes that Betty White, who died on New Years Eve, may have had something to do with the meteor

Another user, Neal Sprissler, jokes that Betty White, who died on New Years Eve, may have had something to do with the meteor

The falling fish are in reference to storms that scooped up fish in Texarkana and dropped them off throughout the town.

Another user, Neal Sprissler, jokes that Betty White, who died on New Years Eve, may have had something to do with the meteor.

'So there may have been a meteor explosion in the Pittsburgh area today. My theory that Betty White was a Mystic Force keeping Earth Safe is looking more and more plausible,' reads the tweet.

Explained: The difference between an asteroid, meteorite and other space rocks

An asteroid is a large chunk of rock left over from collisions or the early solar system. Most are located between Mars and Jupiter in the Main Belt.

A comet is a rock covered in ice, methane and other compounds. Their orbits take them much further out of the solar system.

A meteor is what astronomers call a flash of light in the atmosphere when debris burns up.

This debris itself is known as a meteoroid. Most are so small they are vapourised in the atmosphere.

If any of this meteoroid makes it to Earth, it is called a meteorite.

Meteors, meteoroids and meteorites normally originate from asteroids and comets.

For example, if Earth passes through the tail of a comet, much of the debris burns up in the atmosphere, forming a meteor shower.

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