Museum investigates possible meteor break up over Manitoba

Did you hear an unusual rumble Tuesday night? If so, the Manitoba Museum wants to hear from you.

People living in Gardenton, a town just south of Winnipeg, felt their houses shake around 6:45 p.m., and now local astronomers are wondering if the reports are related to a meteor break-up near Ottawa.

It sounds like a very big meteor went into the atmosphere over top of the Ottawa area and that was seen by lots of people, said Manitoba Museum astronomer Scott Young. It had a sonic boom and a sort of a rumble associated with it. It probably exploded in the atmosphere.

The boom in Ottawa was felt as far away as Montreal, Que. and upper New York state at around 8 p.m.

Hundreds of reports flooded into social media and local police stations, and experts in Montreal are saying a meteor is the most likely explanation for the loud sound and accompanying flash of light.

Officials from the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada said the event appears to be minor as there were no reports of damage.