The Ohio Meteor: A Search for Space Rocks Begins

On March 17, 2026, a loud sonic boom shook parts of Ohio and Pennsylvania. It was caused by a small asteroid, called a meteor, entering Earth’s atmosphere. This event has led to the discovery of meteorites, which are pieces of space rock that land on the ground. Scientists expect many more to be found.

The meteor that caused the big boom also dropped meteorites across the landscape. According to reports, at least one official fragment has been found. Meteorite hunter Roberto Vargas discovered it in Medina County, Ohio. The fragment weighs 10 grams, which is about 0.35 ounces.

There are also "many" other potential fragments waiting for official confirmation from experts. NASA's radar data suggests a large amount of debris fell over a 12-minute period. This means the number of confirmed meteorites will likely rise as more people search the area.

NASA has shared a map showing where the debris likely landed. Meteorite-hunters are already going there to look for pieces.

Radar data indicates the space rock was roughly 6.5 feet (2 meters) across and weighed about 7 tons before entering Earth's atmosphere. As it broke apart, the lightest and smallest pieces fell to the ground first. The largest pieces landed farthest south. The meteor was moving from north to south as it entered our atmosphere.

NASA commented on the event. They said the meteor passed over western Cleveland, making the sonic booms heard across that city. This event is important because the asteroid fell over a large city without any warning. Skywatch programs, which look for asteroids, did not see it coming. Evidence shows this asteroid came from a high angle. Skywatch programs usually focus their attention along the solar system’s flat middle part, called the equatorial plane.

Experts have determined the recovered meteorites are a stony type called achondrite. This is a rarer kind of meteorite. Only about 8% of all meteorites that reach Earth are achondrites. The source of these meteors might be the large asteroid Vesta, Mars, or our moon.

Meteorite hunters are sharing their finds online. The first confirmed meteorite was found by Roberto Vargas, a meteorite hunter from Connecticut. He found the official fragment from the St. Patrick's Day asteroid explosion in Medina County, Ohio.

Around 9 a.m. on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, 2026, residents of Ohio and Pennsylvania began calling 911. They reported an "earthquake-like" explosion. The National Weather Service office in Pittsburgh was quick to report.

They said people across western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio reported a loud boom and a fireball in the sky. Their satellite data suggested it was possibly a meteor entering the atmosphere.

The National Weather Service office in Cleveland followed up with data confirming the meteor. Looking at satellite imagery, they saw a bright streak over the Cleveland area. This streak is what you would expect from a meteor entering the atmosphere. NWS Cleveland said the latest satellite imagery suggests the boom was a result of a meteor.

So, satellites saw the bright flash of a meteor entering Earth's atmosphere near Cleveland, Ohio.

The American Meteor Society received more than 200 reports of the meteor. Reports came from Ohio, Pennsylvania, and as far away as Virginia and Wisconsin. One observer, Nicole T. from Northfield, Ohio, said she both saw the fireball and heard it.

She said, "The low rumbles I heard were maybe a minute or two after it disappeared."

Another observer, Alec H. from Cincinnati, Ohio, saw the meteor but did not hear the sonic boom. He said, "It was cool looking, felt like that Russian meteor video without any boom."

This event may remind people of the Chelyabinsk meteor that broke apart over Russia in 2013. That was a larger asteroid. When people rushed to look at it, the sonic boom shattered glass and injured people. Fortunately, there were no such injury reports with the Ohio meteor.

Some car dashcams and security cameras caught the fireball's entry. News outlets and individuals shared videos showing the bright meteor. One video from a dashcam captured the view from Pennsylvania while driving toward northeast Ohio. Other videos allowed people to hear the sonic boom that followed.

NASA officially confirmed that a meteor was the source of the fireball and sonic boom. The space agency provided details:

A very bright daylight fireball was observed by witnesses from the northeast U.S. and Canada on the morning of March 17. Analysis of the data places the first sighting of the meteor above Lake Erie. The fireball – caused by a small asteroid nearly 6 feet (1.8 m) in diameter and weighing about 7 tons – moved southeast at 45,000 mph (72,000 kph) before breaking apart over Valley City. The fragments continued to the south, producing meteorites near Medina County, Ohio.

NASA also said: The asteroid released energy equal to 250 tons of TNT when it broke apart. This created a pressure wave that moved to the ground, causing the booms and explosive noises heard by many people. It may have also shaken houses north of Medina.

In summary, the meteor that shook parts of Ohio and Pennsylvania on St. Patrick’s Day also dropped meteorites on the landscape. A map shows where fragments likely landed, and meteorite hunters have already begun finding them.