A meteor exploded off the coast of Massachusetts on Saturday afternoon, producing a loud boom and ground-shaking shock wave that was heard across parts of the state.

Axar.az reports, citing CBS, that NASA confirmed that the fireball was detected around 2:11 p.m. ET and released energy equivalent to roughly 300 tons of TNT as it broke apart in the atmosphere.

The object is believed to have fragmented at an altitude of about 40 miles over northeastern Massachusetts and southeastern New Hampshire.

Experts say such events occur when larger meteoroids survive deep enough into the atmosphere to create powerful shock waves as they travel at extreme speeds, sometimes exceeding tens of thousands of miles per hour. Most meteors burn up harmlessly, but larger fragments can generate visible fireballs and audible booms over wide regions.

Researchers stress that there is no evidence of an impact threat to Earth.