Answer: Meteor
Notes: Recently, explosions and boom sounds heard in Boston were suspected to have been caused by a bolide entering the atmosphere. A bolide is a large, exceptionally bright meteor that often explodes in the upper atmosphere. It produces a brilliant flash of light and may generate loud sonic booms. Bolides are brighter and more dramatic than ordinary meteors, and sometimes their fragments reach the ground as meteorites. Studying bolides helps scientists understand the composition and behavior of meteoroids during atmospheric entry.
