The ground shook as a fireball soared over the New York sky: Reports

A meteor was seen streaking through the New York sky above the Statue of Liberty on Tuesday morning, with several people reporting that the ground shook right when it happened. NASA confirmed the incident saying that it burnt up above Midtown Manhattan. New Yorkers say that they saw a flash of fire streak across the sky at 11:15 am, with 20 people from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut reporting the sighting. One of the witnesses stated that the meteor looked like a shooting star green, yellow and white in colour. 

The bright flash of light from the meteor lasted about 30 seconds before the cosmic rock broke into three pieces. NASA posted about the incident on Facebook, saying that it was moving at a rate of 34,000 miles per hour. 

“The meteor descended at a steep angle of just 18 degrees from vertical, passing over the Statue of Liberty before disintegrating 29 miles above midtown Manhattan,” NASA wrote.

Office of Emergency Management later confirmed that there were no reports of any damage or injuries. 

At the time the meteor moved across the sky, several New Yorkers also reported that the ground shook slightly. Calls about the apparent tremors in northeast New Jersey and Staten Island, New York area were made to the US Geological Survey National Earthquake Information Center. However, it stated that there was no seismic activity in the region. A military activity was likely the reason behind the ground shaking, NASA said.

“An examination of the seismic data in the area showed no evidence of an earthquake,” a statement by the agency said.

“The USGS has no direct evidence of the source of the shaking,” it added.

Citing similar past events, the agency said that incidents of the ground shaking have been often tied to “atmospheric origins such as sonic booms or weather-related phenomena.”