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On January 1, 2022, there were numerous reports of sonic booms in
southwestern Pennsylvania.

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GOES-16's Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) picked up

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a large flash that wasn't associated with a thunderstorm.

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GLM data indicated the source of the mysterious sound to be a bolide,

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or a large meteor exploding in the atmosphere.

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The GLM onboard GOES-16 and GOES-17 primarily monitor lightning activity.

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However, it can also detect bolides, and has captured

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many of these exploding meteors.

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On December 4, 2020, the GOES-16 GLM saw a meteor over New York State

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and it detected separate events over Puerto Rico and Cuba in 2019.

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The GLM takes 500 images of Earth every second, allowing it to measure the shape of a meteor "light curve,"

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or the change in brightness of a meteor with time.

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Loud booms with no visible source can cause a lot of anxiety - especially in populated areas.

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When GLM is able to quickly confirm the presence of a bolide, it helps calm fears.

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GLM constantly keeps watch for both lightning and exploding metoer hazards.

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Earth from Orbit: Catching Bolides

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