Sharing their findings about the space rock, NASA also took to Facebook to comment on the meteor’s disintegration, measured at 200 kilograms of TNT.
They said: “As the object (which was likely a fragment of an asteroid) penetrated deeper into the atmosphere, pressure built up on its front while a partial vacuum formed behind it.
“About 30 miles up, the pressure difference between front and back exceeded its structural strength.
“The space rock fragmented violently, producing a pressure wave that rattled buildings and generated the sound heard by those near the trajectory.
“Such a pressure wave can also couple into the ground, causing minor ‘tremors’ that can be picked up by seismic instruments in the area; the wave itself can be detected by infrasound (low-frequency sound that can travel great distances) stations.”
