NASA confirms 17,000-pound meteor caused ‘boom’ across Ohio

(WJW) – NASA has confirmed that a loud “boom” heard across parts of Ohio on Tuesday morning was caused by a meteor streaking through the atmosphere.

Residents across Northeast Ohio reported what sounded like a “large explosion” just before 9 a.m., with many saying the noise lasted several seconds and shook homes and businesses.

What caused the ‘boom’

According to NASA, a meteor measuring about 6 feet and weighing roughly 17,000 pounds traveled at around 44,000 mph over the region. The first flash was detected about 50 miles above Lake Erie.

A meteor—often called a shooting star—is a piece of space rock that enters Earth’s atmosphere and burns up due to friction.

Scott Rudloski, a lightning specialist with the National Weather Service, said lightning detection maps captured an elongated flash, indicating likely two explosions. The first occurred when the meteor broke apart about 27 miles above Lake Erie, followed by a second boom moments later.

NASA added that small fragments may have landed in Medina County.

Astronomer Jay Reynolds noted that such events happen more often than people realize.

“You may not hear them, but a lot of times, they do fall, and they are recovered at some point,” Reynolds said. “If it did hit, some farmer will be able to tell us… unless it landed in a forest.”

Widespread reports across the region

People across Northeast Ohio—and even as far as Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, and parts of Michigan—reported hearing or seeing the meteor.

The National Weather Service in Pittsburgh shared video of the fireball captured by an employee. In Northeast Ohio, cameras at a bus garage in the Olmsted Falls School District recorded a bright streak of light moving across the sky.

One resident in Sandusky said the boom “shook our house” and initially felt like an electrical issue. Another person in Hartville reported feeling a rumble that startled pets but caused no apparent damage.

Officials say such meteor events, while dramatic, are usually harmless, though investigators may continue looking for any recovered fragments in the area.