Recent March 17 Meteor Hits U.S.

On March 17, 2026, around 8:56 AM EDT, a bright meteor weighing 7 tons flew across the air in the northern United States. Shortly after passing over the atmosphere, it produced a sonic boom and a bright flash that lasted over 7 seconds. Furthermore, over 10 states were affected by this, and reports have shown that parts of Canada were affected as well.

A meteor is a space rock that burns up with friction from the air when entering the Earth’s atmosphere. However, the March 17 meteor was a rare example that reached the Earth without burning out. NASA states that the sound occurred when the asteroid fragmented, “resulting in a pressure wave” that reached the ground. Some people believed that these were sounds from an airport. The meteor also released a force of energy equivalent to 250 tons of TNT (a highly explosive chemical compound), as stated by NASA.

The meteor was travelling at an approximate speed of 45,000 miles per hour(72,420 km/h). Later, NASA professionals confirmed that the meteor was about 6 feet or 1.8 meters across. At 45,000 mph, it managed to reach many states and parts of other countries. Harry Baker from livescience.com states that eyewitnesses reported that the meteor reached areas from Ohio, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Wisconsin, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia, as well as parts of Canada.

Valley City, Ohio, was the place where the meteor fragmented. Satellite data and imagery show that the meteor travelled across northeastern Ohio from Lake Erie to Valley City, where it fragmented. Officials and experts are teaming up to search across Ohio to find any pieces of the meteor. Many residents of Ohio are also discovering pieces of the meteor. AP News states, “Medina resident December Harris didn’t have to go looking — her cousin and roommate, Ambra Sinclair, found a small black rock they suspect is a meteorite when she was leaving for work. ” Harris describes the rock as “somewhat triangular shaped, less than 2 inches (5 centimeters) in diameter…”

This recent meteor has brought much concern to people about the well-being of the Earth and humans. Although the March 17 meteor was a rare case of severe damage to the Earth, many people in the whether there will be risks. Many experts are still researching this recent incident, and further reports about this recent meteor and following meteors are expected in the future.

Sources:

https://apnews.com/article/ohio-search-meteor-asteroid-fireball-explosion-990fdb46f4c0c447357e4c0e387c1dcf

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cleveland-meteor-loud-boom-sound/

https://www.livescience.com/space/meteoroids/rare-daytime-fireball-meteor-creates-powerful-sonic-boom-as-7-ton-space-rock-explodes-above-eastern-us