The meteor caused a loud explosion in Ohio and Pennsylvania
18 march 2026 в 19:13
The National Weather Service (NWS) confirmed that the loud explosion over Ohio and Pennsylvania was caused by a meteor. The object, which became a meteorite upon striking the Earth’s surface, created a «loud sound», - as described by puzzled residents of the region. So where exactly did the impact occur? Here’s what NASA and other officials reported.
The NWS in Cleveland confirmed via X.com that the loud explosion on March 17, 2026, «was the result of a meteor falling». The noise was heard by most people in northeastern Ohio.
The service referred to images from the Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) in response to a Twitter user who wrote, «I just heard the loudest explosion in northeastern Ohio. People heard it even in Avon. What was it? A meteor?»
NASA also confirmed that the object was a meteor and that reports of its sighting came from several states and regions, including Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Kentucky, New York, Washington, D.C., and Ontario, Canada, according to information from The Columbus Dispatch.
Fragments of the meteorite were reportedly spotted mainly in Medina County, Ohio.
Meteors, asteroids, and comets are objects that orbit the Sun, but each is different. According to NASA, an asteroid is a «small rocky object that appears as a point of light when viewed through a telescope». Some are round, while others may have an elongated shape, and most asteroids are typically found in the asteroid belt—a ring between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
A comet, on the other hand, is made of ice and dust, and when it approaches the Sun, it begins to vaporize. Therefore, a comet usually appears fuzzy in the sky or has a tail when observed through a telescope.
Meteoroids, in turn, are small pieces of an asteroid or comet. They typically form as a result of collisions. When a meteoroid enters the Earth’s atmosphere, it is called a meteor. A meteor enters the atmosphere at high speed and burns up, creating a glowing trail that we commonly refer to as a «shooting star». However, if the meteor survives the burning and lands on the surface, it is called a meteorite
The NWS in Cleveland confirmed via X.com that the loud explosion on March 17, 2026, «was the result of a meteor falling». The noise was heard by most people in northeastern Ohio.
The service referred to images from the Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) in response to a Twitter user who wrote, «I just heard the loudest explosion in northeastern Ohio. People heard it even in Avon. What was it? A meteor?»
NASA also confirmed that the object was a meteor and that reports of its sighting came from several states and regions, including Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Kentucky, New York, Washington, D.C., and Ontario, Canada, according to information from The Columbus Dispatch.
Fragments of the meteorite were reportedly spotted mainly in Medina County, Ohio.
Meteors, asteroids, and comets are objects that orbit the Sun, but each is different. According to NASA, an asteroid is a «small rocky object that appears as a point of light when viewed through a telescope». Some are round, while others may have an elongated shape, and most asteroids are typically found in the asteroid belt—a ring between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
A comet, on the other hand, is made of ice and dust, and when it approaches the Sun, it begins to vaporize. Therefore, a comet usually appears fuzzy in the sky or has a tail when observed through a telescope.
Meteoroids, in turn, are small pieces of an asteroid or comet. They typically form as a result of collisions. When a meteoroid enters the Earth’s atmosphere, it is called a meteor. A meteor enters the atmosphere at high speed and burns up, creating a glowing trail that we commonly refer to as a «shooting star». However, if the meteor survives the burning and lands on the surface, it is called a meteorite
© Smirnova Olga
