Meteor likely ‘the size of a beach ball’ causes sonic boom over Utah, experts say
A mysterious loud boom that rattled Salt Lake City residents — including Utah’s governor — has been identified, experts say.
After seismologists ruled out an earthquake and military authorities reported no explosions to account for the extraordinarily loud boom heard about 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug, 13, experts told KUTV it was most likely a meteor.
A National Weather Service post on Twitter seemed to confirm the meteor theory with a satellite photo showing two reddish flashes, likely the meteor entering the Earth’s atmosphere.
“Your normal meteor is only the size of a pea or a small pebble,” Robert Lunsford with the American Meteor Society told KSTU. “This particular object was probably the size of a beach ball.”
“Heard this while out on a run in SLC,” Gov. Spencer Cox of Utah reported on Twitter with a video that captured the boom.
Mandi Arrington of West Jordan, near Salt Lake City, told KSTU that she thought a limb had fallen off her tree, which she’d had trimmed a day earlier.
“I actually thought part of my tree had broken off and hit my house, so that’s why I went out and I started looking around and I was completely confused,” Arrington told the station.
Several home security videos posted to Twitter captured the boom and, in at least one case, a possible sighting of the meteor.
Just talked to Patrick Wiggins, NASA's Solar System Ambassador to Utah. He says its not rare to see a meteor but it is rare to HEAR one. He says that means it was close and there are most likely fragments somewhere in Utah. That metal is valuable. Video: Ruby Anaya @KSL5TV at 5. pic.twitter.com/SupSAxNHaY
— Alex Cabrero (@KSL_AlexCabrero) August 13, 2022
Mysterious lights over ocean have people ‘freaking out’ in California city
Pieces of ‘fireball’ meteor that exploded over Mississippi are being found, NASA says
Meteor explosion may have caused mysterious loud boom heard throughout Indiana