re: Strange "boom" noises uptown NOLA

This is the best explanation I've seen.


If you check out all the "Fireball" reports on the American Meteor Society website from Tuesday evening, they coincide precisely with the time and orientation of a path crossing New Orleans, with a final trajectory more or less in line from Houston to Austin, Texas. At this point, since we are at the peak of the annual Geminids shower, I have no doubt whatsoever that a flaming meteoroid exploding overhead -- causing both an audible explosion and a more subtle sonic boom -- is what people heard. The fact that it was overcast and beginning to rain explains why the phenomenon was not witnessed visually more directly, but I'm confident a replay of area surveillance video could reconstruct the event somewhat.