Did you hear that? The ‘boom’ that rattled Ohio last week came from outer space

If your morning included a sudden boom that made you stop and look around, you aren’t alone.

Ohioans – mostly in the northern and northeast portions of the state – reported hearing (and in some cases feeling) a loud blast just before 9 a.m. last Tuesday.

Windows rattled. Walls shook. People looked up. What happened? It had nothing to do with the snow.

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The National Weather Service said the noise was caused by a meteor streaking through the atmosphere and breaking apart midair. NASA said the seven-ton object – harnessing the same energy as 250 tons of TNT – unleashed a booming sound. 

The latest GLM imagery (1301Z) does suggest that the boom was a result of a meteor. pic.twitter.com/CH7oJ4Q1OY

— NWS Cleveland (@NWSCLE) March 17, 2026

A meteor – often called a shooting star or, if especially bright, a fireball – is the streak of light created when a meteoroid (a small space rock, sometimes from an asteroid) enters Earth’s atmosphere and burns up. If any piece survives the fall, it’s known as a meteorite.

This particular meteor was visible in broad daylight, with photos being shared of a bright flash cutting across the sky in Ohio, Pennsylvania and farther east.

NASA said the asteroid’s fragments continued south and became meteorites when they landed throughout Medina County, south of Cleveland. There were no reports of injuries.

Meteors happen constantly. Earth gets hit by millions of tiny particles every day. Most are the size of sand grains and burn up instantly. Fireballs (the really bright ones people notice) are much rarer.

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