Rare Daytime Meteor Fell Over England, Caused House-Shaking Boom

Researchers say the meteor “would have been going faster than the speed of sound.”

Daytime Fireball

A rare meteor soared across the skies of southern England on Saturday causing a sonic boom loud enough to shake people’s homes.

The fireball streaked across the sky over Dorset, Somerset, Devon, and Jersey on Saturday afternoon, according to the BBC. Though it was daytime, the meteor was bright enough to be spotted by those below. It was followed by a booming noise that was so loud it shook houses and rattled windows. 

Listen to it yourself in the clip below: 

A Very Rare Meteor

The fireball is said to have been an extremely rare "bolide class" meteor, according to the BBC. This describes a meteor that’s so bright that it’s capable of being seen during the day. 

Bolide meteors also occasionally explode after it enters Earth’s atmosphere — which probably explains the sonic boom noise. 

Watch Out For Space Rocks

Some researchers are excited that they could soon get fresh meteorite samples, especially since a boom occurred. 

According to Dr. Ashley King of the UK Fireball Alliance, an organization of meteorite enthusiasts and hunters, the meteor "would have been going faster than the speed of sound." 

"Normally when you hear that it’s a good sign that you have some rocks that have made it to the surface," King said to the BBC. "It’s incredibly exciting and I’m a bit stunned."

The UK Fireball Alliance urges anyone in the southern England region to keep an eye out for potential meteorite fragments that might have landed. Who knows? If you live in the area, it might have even landed near your house like the UK couple who found pieces of space rock in their driveway.

READ MORE: ‘Sonic boom’ in Dorset blamed on ‘fireball meteor’ [BBC]

More on meteorites: A Meteorite Fell in This Area and Everybody is Looking for It