March 17 Meteor Over Medina County

On March 17, 2026, a meteor flew across Ohio and was seen from all around the northern U.S. After Earth’s gravity pulled it in from the inner asteroid belt, the meteor traveled 34 miles before blowing up near Lake Erie.

A meteoroid is a mass of rock that originates in space. When a meteoroid gets too close to Earth, Earth’s gravity pulls it towards Earth. After a meteor enters the mesosphere, most or all of it burns up. When it is burning in the atmosphere, it is called a meteor. After a meteor hits Earth, it becomes a meteorite.

The meteorite that landed on March 17 was about 6 feet in diameter and weighed 6-7 tons. It flew 34 miles at 45 thousand mph in a southeastern direction before exploding, north of Medina, Ohio. The meteorites are expected to be scattered around Medina. The explosion caused a sonic boom that was felt and heard across Ohio, with energy comparable to that of 250 tons of TNT.

Meteor sightings have become more common during the first quarter of 2026. There has been an increase in meteors since 2011 by almost 800%. There has been a significant increase every year in meteor sightings since 2011 by about 200 sightings, according to amsmeteors.org. Nevertheless, seeing a meteor is a very special cosmic event that may happen only once in a lifetime.