Hundreds of people in the northern Shenandoah Valley reported hearing a loud explosion or a "sonic boom" Friday morning.
The Shenandoah County Sheriff’s Office says their dispatch center received dozens of 911 calls about 10:20 a.m. Authorities couldn't find any sign of an explosion or incident. The Page County and Rockingham County 911 centers received similar calls.
The United States Geological Survey confirmed there was no earthquake in the area.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command says this was not a flight event.
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So what was the mysterious noise?
Astronomer Greg Redfern, WTOP’s Space Reporter, says it was most likely a bolide event, a meteor explosion over western Virginia.
Redfern says that cloud cover prevented people from seeing “a brilliant streak of light.” It’s likely the meteor completely disintegrated, but small pieces may have hit the ground, he said.
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There are no known reports of damage or injuries.
The GOES-16 satellite captured a spike of light pictured above.
