Coastal communities in Massachusetts experienced an unexpected disturbance when a meteor broke apart over the ocean.

A loud boom that was heard across a broad swath of New England – from New Hampshire to Rhode Island – was caused by a meteor that broke up over the region Saturday afternoon, according to NASA.

The object was traveling roughly 75,000 mph when it fragmented, releasing energy equivalent to about 300 tons of TNT - enough to create the sonic boom that startled residents across the region.