Meteor Explosion Rocks Pittsburgh; Tremors, Massive Boom Reported By Residents

A giant boom was heard throughout a large region in southwestern Pittsburgh on New Year’s Day 2022 is believed by government agencies and experts to have been caused by a meteor from space.

Many residents in the area reported the Earth shaking and a loud boom echoing across the neighborhood on that Saturday morning, with many able to document the occurrence on their phones, the New York Post reported.

“It sounded like a house was exploding,” 42-year-old Jill Tarasi said. “I have friends from all over saying they heard it, too.”

People in the area feared that an earthquake was occurring, with Avalon resident Laurel Ryan describing the noise and shaking she experienced as akin to those that she experienced during her time in California, according to the Independent.

Though currently still being studied, satellite lightning maps indicate a tiny green blip in the area around the time, which researchers believe was the meteor crashing down to that specific Pittsburgh area, according to CBS Pittsburgh.

“It’s pretty cool,” meteorologist Shannon Hefferan for the National Weather Service said. “It’s, you know, in last couple years, I mean, we didn’t have that type of technology to see that kind of phenomena before.”

The National Weather Service and the Carnegie Science Center have said that, among other theories, they believe that the meteor is connected to a meteor shower that was expected to peak on Monday, though they have no confirmation yet at the moment.

“In this case, it’s possible that we had a fireball that burned up and our atmosphere exploded,” Mike Hennessy, spokesperson of the Carnegie Science Center, said. “Seismic activity was ruled out, as was construction from the airport. Thunder was ruled out because it was a relatively stable storm system going over Pittsburgh today.”

No casualties or injuries have been reported in relation to the possible meteor entry.