Meteor Or Earthquake? New Jersey Residents Say Their House Shook

NORTH JERSEY — Residents in New Jersey who felt their home shaking on Tuesday morning took to social media to ask if they were experiencing an earthquake like the one that rattled the area in April. But by the end of the day, NASA provided a different explanation.

[UPDATE: NASA Gives Update, Says Meteor Flew Across New Jersey]

Tuesday evening, the space agency said a meteor must have passed near New York City around 11:17 a.m. NASA estimated the meteor passed over the Statue of Liberty before disintegrating 29 miles above midtown Manhattan.

Several residents on the East Coast reported seeing a fireball between 11:15 and 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, with information appearing in the logs of the American Meteor Society. The Perseid meteor shower became visible in this area Sunday and will continue into August.

Residents posted these reports earlier about the shaking:

Military Exercises Too

Some in South Jersey pointed out that there were military exercises in the area from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., as well. The police in Little Egg Harbor posted, "Activity at the Warren Grove Air to Ground Range will take place today between the hours of 10am and 11am. Expect to hear sounds relating to military weapons activity during that time."

The US Geological Survey has reported small earthquakes recently in the areas of New Egypt and Califon in New Jersey, but not on Tuesday.

Last year, an offshore sonic boom rattled parts of New Jersey and Delaware.