New York City, often the setting for countless "end of the world" scenarios in films and television, became the stage for a real celestial event on Tuesday. A meteor streaked across the sky above the iconic Statue of Liberty before disintegrating high over Manhattan, according to NASA’s Meteor Watch in a Facebook post.

Residents flocked to social media, sharing vivid accounts of the event. Some described seeing a fiery streak across the heavens, others likened the experience to an earthquake, and many reported hearing thunderous sounds accompanying the spectacle.

“The meteor raced downward at an incredible 34,000 miles per hour, descending at a sharp angle of just 18 degrees from vertical,” NASA explained. “It passed over the Statue of Liberty and broke apart 29 miles above Midtown Manhattan,” the agency shared on Tuesday.

A doorbell camera in Wayne, New Jersey, a neighboring town, captured footage of a brilliant flash lighting up the night sky. The video was later submitted to the American Meteor Society (AMS).

According to the AMS website, the organization received 43 separate eyewitness reports of the meteor.

NASA, however, cautioned that the meteor's trajectory is only a rough estimate due to limited data, which primarily relied on eyewitness accounts. The absence of satellite or detailed camera footage prevents a more precise calculation.

Additionally, NASA confirmed that the meteor did not produce any meteorites as it disintegrated before reaching the ground.

NASA said that "reports of military activity in the vicinity around the time of the fireball" would explain the reports of the tremors and booms.