Delawareans experienced rattling and shaking Friday, was a supersonic aircraft

A loud rumble heard and felt by residents along the Atlantic Coast on Friday afternoon was caused by an aircraft flying supersonic in a training exercise, according to a Maryland naval station.

In social media posts,  residents in southern Delaware, along the Jersey Shore and in other parts of New Jersey said their homes and places of work shook for about 10 seconds around 2 p.m.

One Facebook user said, "I had to go open the window to see what the hell was happening." 

Patrick Gordon, public affairs officer for Naval Air Station Patuxent River, said their aircraft flew a few miles off the coast through a path known as the "Atlantic test track" used by the Department of Defense. 

The aircraft went supersonic, Gordon said, breaking the sound barrier, which produced a loud sound similar to thunder. It's referred to as a sonic boom.

At sea level, the speed of sound is about 750 miles per hour, according to the Air Force. 

Most aircraft that fly supersonic aren't heard on people's doorsteps, but certain atmospheric conditions are conducive to the boom traveling, Gordon said.

The U.S. Geological Survey, which tracks seismic activity across the nation, didn't report earthquakes of any magnitude in the region Friday.