On March 17, 2026, around 8:56 am EDT, a bright meteor lit up the sky over the northern United States. The fireball was seen across at least ten states and southern Ontario, Canada. Seconds after appearing, it produced a loud sonic boom that was heard and felt across Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.

NASA officials later confirmed that the meteor measured about six feet (1.8 m) across and weighed six to seven tons. Satellite imagery traced its path from Lake Erie to Valley City in northeastern Ohio. The space rock was traveling at about 45,000 mph (72,420 km/h) when it broke apart. Its explosion created the loud noise that people heard across the region. Some residents believe they may have found meteorite fragments. However, none have been officially confirmed yet.

This was not the first meteor to appear over Ohio in 2026. On the night of February 10, another bright fireball lit up the central Ohio sky. Though visible to residents, it did not produce a sonic boom. There were no pieces found either. This suggests the space rock burned up completely in the atmosphere and never reached the ground.

Meteors are space rocks that enter Earth’s atmosphere at high speeds and burn up from friction with the air. Most are small and go unnoticed. Sometimes, larger meteors can be seen over wide areas. In rare cases, a few pieces survive and reach the ground, as may have happened with the March 17 meteor. Fragments from these ancient space rocks can reveal clues about how the universe was formed.

Resources: NPR.org, Wikipedia.com, NASA.gov, NWS.com