The boom was heard all over South Carolina, most likely a meteor

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WMBF) – A loud explosion felt and heard across the Midlands and Bull D area of ​​South Carolina on Thursday was likely a meteor.

According to the USGS, the sonic boom is estimated to have originated in St Andrews and was heard and felt across the Midlands and in the Pee Dee area around 5:24pm on Thursday.

Reports of the explosion were reported throughout Columbia as well as surrounding counties, and even as far away as Darlington, Dillon, Florence, and Chesterfield counties.

The US Geological Survey confirmed that the boom was not the result of an earthquake. A department spokesman said there had been no seismic activity in or around Colombia, with the last reported earthquake occurring on May 22.

The sonic boom heard above the SC was most likely caused by a meteorite. (WMBF)

The administration says that because earthquake magnitude scales are calibrated for seismic waves that travel through the Earth, standard magnitude calculation methods do not apply to sound spikes.

Airplanes or military aircraft have also been excluded as a source. While aircraft can produce sonic booms and shock waves when they break the sound barrier, the resulting boom often only affects a small area. In addition, aircraft are prohibited from breaching the sound barrier and creating sonic booms in most airspace.

Based on the latest data, the most likely cause was a meteorite.

Officially, the American Meteor Society has no reliable reports about the meteorite. However, since it was still daytime and heavy cloud cover covered much of the area, the satellite technology used to detect the meteors may not have provided an accurate reading. Videos emerge of a possible vapor trail, lending credence to the meteor theory.

Meteorites strike the Earth’s atmosphere at maximum speeds of 25,000 to 60,000 miles per hour.

Because space rocks are moving so fast, they quickly compress the air in front of them instead of just rubbing against it. This enormous pressure heats the air to thousands of degrees, causing the meteorite to vaporize and spread across the sky in the form of a “shooting star.”

It is not uncommon for small meteorites to explode upon entering Earth’s atmosphere, creating a shock wave and sonic boom heard over long distances. Similar cases have occurred in Ohio, New York and California over the past few months.

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