Massive Meteor Lights Up Cleveland Sky

7-ton space rock streaked across the Midwest before breaking apart with a thunderous boom.

Mar. 17, 2026 at 10:59pm

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A 7-ton meteor traveling at 45,000 mph streaked across the Cleveland sky on Tuesday morning, startling residents who feared an explosion. The fireball was visible from several states away before breaking apart over Valley City, Ohio, unleashing an energy equivalent to 250 tons of TNT.

Why it matters

Meteors entering the Earth's atmosphere are a relatively common occurrence, but this particularly large and bright fireball highlights the continued need to monitor and study these celestial objects. Tracking meteors can provide valuable insights into the composition and origins of our solar system.

The details

The meteor was first spotted about 50 miles above Lake Erie near Lorain, Ohio. It traveled more than 34 miles through the upper atmosphere before fragmenting over Valley City, north of Medina. NASA confirmed the meteor was nearly 6 feet in diameter. The American Meteor Society received reports of the bright fireball from as far away as Wisconsin and Maryland.

  • The meteor was first seen around 9 a.m. on Tuesday, March 17, 2026.
  • The meteor broke apart over Valley City, Ohio.

The players

Carl Hergenrother

The executive director of the American Meteor Society, who stated that the object was likely a small asteroid that burned up in the atmosphere.

Bill Cooke

The lead of NASA's Meteoroid Environments Office in Huntsville, Alabama, who confirmed details about the meteor's trajectory and breakup.

Brian Mitchell

A meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Cleveland, who said there were no early reports of debris being found on the ground.

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What they’re saying

“This one really does look like it's a fireball, which means it's a meteorite — a small asteroid.”

— Carl Hergenrother, Executive Director, American Meteor Society

“Now we're seeing them, and there's dozens of videos popping up all the time.”

— Carl Hergenrother, Executive Director, American Meteor Society

What’s next

NASA and other scientific agencies will continue to analyze data from the incident to learn more about the meteor's composition and origin.

The takeaway

This dramatic meteor event serves as a reminder of the constant activity in our skies and the need for continued monitoring and research to better understand these celestial phenomena.