Explosion in Ohio: Residents heard the sound of a meteor on March 17, 2026
17 march 2026 в 18:37
Can Hollywood really be on the right track when it comes to the end of the world (as depicted in the movie «Don't Look Up»)? Earlier this month, reports emerged about an asteroid passing by Earth, and now residents of Ohio are wondering if a meteorite was nearby. People in the Cleveland area went about their usual St. Patrick’s Day on March 17, 2026, but were soon awakened by a loud explosion. This noise led many social media users to speculate that it could have been a meteorite—or something more serious.
So, what was the loud explosion heard in Ohio on March 17, 2026? Here’s what officials have said so far and everything we know.
The National Weather Service (NWS) in Cleveland tweeted that the loud sound «was the result of a meteor». The noise was heard by most people in northeastern Ohio.
NWS referenced images from the Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) in response to a tweet from someone who wrote, «Just heard the loudest boom in northeastern Ohio. People heard it even in Avon. What was that? A meteor?»
— NWS Cleveland (@NWSCLE) March 17, 2026
Meteors, asteroids, and comets are all objects that orbit the Sun, but each is different from the others. According to NASA, an asteroid is «a small rocky object that appears as a point of light when viewed through a telescope». Some of these objects are round, while others may have an elongated shape. Most of them are typically found in the asteroid belt, which is a ring between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
A comet, on the other hand, is an object made of ice and dust, and when it approaches the Sun, it begins to vaporize. Therefore, a comet usually appears fuzzy or has a tail when observed through a telescope, according to NASA.
Meteoroids are pieces of asteroids or comets and can be the size of pebbles. They typically form as a result of collisions, and when a meteoroid enters 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 a meteor survives the burning and lands on the surface, it is then called a meteorite
So, what was the loud explosion heard in Ohio on March 17, 2026? Here’s what officials have said so far and everything we know.
The National Weather Service (NWS) in Cleveland tweeted that the loud sound «was the result of a meteor». The noise was heard by most people in northeastern Ohio.
NWS referenced images from the Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) in response to a tweet from someone who wrote, «Just heard the loudest boom in northeastern Ohio. People heard it even in Avon. What was that? A meteor?»
— NWS Cleveland (@NWSCLE) March 17, 2026
Meteors, asteroids, and comets are all objects that orbit the Sun, but each is different from the others. According to NASA, an asteroid is «a small rocky object that appears as a point of light when viewed through a telescope». Some of these objects are round, while others may have an elongated shape. Most of them are typically found in the asteroid belt, which is a ring between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
A comet, on the other hand, is an object made of ice and dust, and when it approaches the Sun, it begins to vaporize. Therefore, a comet usually appears fuzzy or has a tail when observed through a telescope, according to NASA.
Meteoroids are pieces of asteroids or comets and can be the size of pebbles. They typically form as a result of collisions, and when a meteoroid enters 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 a meteor survives the burning and lands on the surface, it is then called a meteorite
© Artemenko Olga
