With some predicting the end of the world next Saturday, residents of Virginia Beach could be forgiven for fearing the worst when they heard a loud boom on Tuesday night.
But according to NASA scientists, the earth shattering explosion was nothing more than a meteorite exploding as it entered the earth's atmosphere.
The incident, which was loud enough to rattle homes in Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Suffolk and other areas prompted a flurry of calls to 911 from concerned residents.
© Alamy
Speaking to WAVY-TV, NASA scientist Joe Zawodny said the boom is most consistent with the space rock and is probably associated with a meteor shower that peaked last week.
Mr Zawodny says an object as small as a golf ball could cause such a loud bang if it was travelling fast enough.
'A sonic boom is pressure wave, and it mimics an explosion.
'They can be quite forceful, and can definitely rattle walls and windows.'
Comment: Unfortunately, Space Weather's commentator does not take into account the idea that there is an electrical discharge phenomena taking place here which can easily explain why the eruption began before the physical arrival of the comet. If a comet in the far reaches of the solar system can induce Solar discharge events - which is part of the Electric Universe theory - then certainly, a discharge event can begin to manifest as the comet approaches.
From our recent review of Planet-X, Comets and Earth Changes by J.M. McCanney, we understand solar discharge events as follows: Given the electrical nature of the Sun and comets, there is likely more than just "coincidence" at play here.