A 7-Ton Meteor Smashes Cleveland Sky, Triggering a Massive Explosion?

Liputan6.com, Jakarta - On Tuesday, March 17, 2026, at approximately 9:00 a.m. local time, the skies above Cleveland, Ohio, witnessed a giant meteor streaked across the sky at high speed, causing a thunderous boom and strong vibrations felt by residents across multiple states.

The bright fireball from the meteor was reportedly seen by observers from hundreds of miles away, from Wisconsin to Maryland, despite the event happening during daylight hours.

The Cleveland National Weather Service (NWS) and the American Meteor Society received numerous reports of sightings and impacts.

After numerous reports and analyses, NASA confirmed that the object was a meteor nearly 6 feet in diameter and weighing approximately 7 tons.

The meteor entered Earth's atmosphere and broke apart, releasing energy equivalent to 250 tons of TNT, resulting in a powerful explosion that was widely felt.

This dramatic event happened early in the morning, around 9:00 a.m. local time, turning the calm of the morning into a moment of panic after residents around the areas reported hearing a loud boom that shook their homes and windows.

Despite the bright fireball produced by the meteor, the meteor's appearance did not go unnoticed.

Witnesses from across the state reported seeing a stunning flash of light in the sky.

Reports of the sighting came from as far away as Wisconsin and Maryland.

Staff at the National Weather Service (NWS) in Cleveland felt the vibrations and heard the explosion firsthand.

NASA confirmed that the streaking celestial object was a meteor measuring nearly 6 feet (about 1.83 meters) in diameter and weighed an enormous amount, estimated at 7 tons.

Traveling at an incredible speed of approximately 45,000 miles (72,420 kilometers) per hour.

Carl Hergenrother, executive director of the American Meteor Society, referred to the object as a "fireball," suggesting it was a meteorite or small asteroid.

The meteor's path was first detected about 50 miles above Lake Erie, near Lorain.

From there, it traveled southeast for more than 34 miles (55 kilometers) through the upper atmosphere.

The event culminated when the meteor broke apart over Valley City, located north of Medina.

The meteor's breakup released energy equivalent to 250 tons of TNT.

Although most of the meteor burned up in the atmosphere, NASA stated that small fragments may have reached the ground.

The American Meteor Society received sighting reports from several states, confirming the wide visual range of this phenomenon.

NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office officially confirmed the meteor's presence at approximately 8:57 a.m. over northern Ohio, near Medina.

The National Weather Service (NWS) also identified the object as a meteor.

They used their sophisticated Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) instrument, which is capable of detecting rapid flashes in the atmosphere.

Experts consider this meteor event to be extremely rare, perhaps even a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence for some.