Remember that spectacular meteor that lit up the blue skies of Massachusetts on May 30, crashing into Cape Cod Bay and setting off a sonic boom across the region? A group of scientists and researchers from around the world have reconstructed the origins of the meteor, compiling an extraordinary amount of information not only about the space rock, but also about its trajectory before crashing into the Earth’s atmosphere. The researchers combined meteor radar, conventional weather radar, satellite observations and atmospheric pressure sensors to reconstruct its journey, and the results were surprising. For starters, this wasn’t just your average shooting star. This meteor was classified as a “superbolide,” meaning it was exceptionally bright and weighed approximately 12,000 pounds and about 5 feet wide before entering our atmosphere. Video of the meteor that crashed into Earth Saturday afternoon off the coast of Massachusetts in Cape Cod Bay. Dan Wilcox Where did the meteor come from? By reconstructing the meteor’s trajectory and tracing its path backwards through space, researchers determined that this space rock had traveled quite far. The meteor’s farthest point was located approximately 4 times the distance from the Earth to the Sun, placing the Cape Cod meteor in the region of Jupiter’s orbit. That would mean this space rock likely traveled from our solar system’s main asteroid belt, between Mars and Jupiter, or from a comet near Jupiter. Its orbit had an average distance from the Sun of about 227 million miles. The average distance from the Earth to the Sun is 94 million miles. The solid dark curve shows the general orbit of the supercar, intersecting with Earth. The Astronomical Journal An arrival at Earth at 58,000 mph. This meteor was moving at nearly 58,000 miles per hour when it passed through Earth’s atmosphere, becoming a meteorite, according to research findings published in The Astronomical Journal. At that speed, you could basically travel from Boston to New York City in less than 25 seconds. As the meteor burned up in our atmosphere, NASA estimated its energy release at about 1.1 kilotons or 1,100 tons of dynamite. The findings suggest a less intense but still highly discharged release of energy, close to 0.5 kilotons (500 tons) of dynamite. Leveraging nearly 200 atmospheric pressure sensors, scientists were able to track shock waves generated by the meteor in Massachusetts and other parts of New England. This is an enormous amount of energy that many of us heard released from high above Cape Cod Bay. A rare meteor explosion rocks homes in New England on May 30, 2026. A loud “bang” was heard across New England as a 3-foot meteor entered the atmosphere on May 30, 2026. Satellite and radar images that captured the meteor crashing into Cape Cod Bay. NOAA Los Researchers also noted that the meteor was unusually dense and mechanically strong, meaning it was likely rich in iron, and that the fragments likely survived the fiery journey through the atmosphere and landed in the atmosphere. bay. Some models suggest the pieces can range from a few ounces to around 3 pounds. For those interested in taking a little boat ride, the fragments are estimated to be located within a 1.9 by 2.3 mile area near the center of Cape Cod Bay. The maximum water depth in Cape Cod Bay is around 200 feet. This was an exceptionally rare event and we may never experience something so close to home again. You can contact Ken Mahan at ken.mahan@globe.com. Follow him on Instagram @kenmahantheweatherman.
