iStockphoto
Thousands of Boston-area residents were alarmed on Saturday after a large explosion could be heard miles from the city. But as it turns out, there’s no real cause for concern.
Early on Saturday afternoon, several concerned citizens took to social media to ask about and share videos of a loud explosion-like noise they heard in the area.
While many theorized about the cause of the noise, nobody seemed to be sure at the time.
🚨 WOW! Another video of the “explosion” in the Boston area really captures how LOUD the boom was
It’s looking like the cause was a “significant” meteor crashing through the atmosphere and burning up, as indicated by heat signatures via satellite, per @NStewWX
This has not yet… pic.twitter.com/qYhdxN0yDc
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) May 30, 2026
Weather Radars Show Likely Meteor Entering Atmosphere In Boston Area
While the official cause has not yet been confirmed, thanks to meteorologist Nick Stewart, we now have a pretty good of the likely source of the bang.
“Reports of an explosion heard around Boston, I believe, are going to be a rather significant bolide/meteor entering the atmosphere,” Stewart said on X. “Very large ‘flash’ detected by GOES-19 GLM that does not correlate with active thunderstorms.”
In a follow-up post, which included a video of a radar, Stewart said that “the flash density product really shows this anomalous ‘flash,’ which is pretty distinctive of a bolide/meteor reentry. East of Boston. This is the likely source of the loud boom/explosion.”
A similar incident occurred in March when a meteor entered the atmosphere in Western Pennsylvania near the border of Ohio, alarming nearby citizens. One trucker driving west on Pennsylvania I-80 even caught video of the incident via his dash cam.
More often than not, these meteors will burn up before ever striking the ground. So it can be difficult to confirm the exact cause of the sound. Although it’s safe to say that the latest incident isn’t one that should have people concerned.