Homes Shake, "Thought It Was a Bomb"... 7-Ton Meteor Explodes in Broad Daylight Over Eastern U.S.

Exceptionally Bright and Large "Fireball"

Blast Equivalent to 250 Tons of TNT... Thunderous Boom

Startled Residents Flood 911 with Calls

A meteor estimated to weigh 7 tons was observed falling over the eastern United States.

A fireball observed in the sky over the eastern United States around 9 a.m. local time on the 17th. Photo by AP Yonhap News

On March 17, local time, foreign media including the Associated Press and The New York Times reported that "around 9 a.m., a burning piece of space rock was observed simultaneously in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Ohio." NASA also announced that a meteor weighing as much as 7 tons was observed above Lake Erie.

This meteor was estimated to have a diameter of about 2 meters and a weight of 6 to 7 tons. It traveled southeast at a speed of 72,000 kilometers per hour and fragmented in the sky above Valley City, Ohio. Astronomically, it is classified as a small asteroid. The meteor attracted attention because it was an exceptionally bright "fireball" that was visible to the naked eye even at 9 a.m.

A fireball is an unusually large and bright meteor, much brighter, larger, and slower than typical meteors, which are commonly called shooting stars. Sometimes, it can appear in colors such as green or blue.

The meteor was observed across a wide area, even being visible from multiple states in the United States and as far as Canada. There were reports of sightings as far west as Illinois, east to Philadelphia, north to Ontario, and south to Virginia. The meteor exploded in the air. According to NASA, the energy released during the meteor’s fragmentation was equivalent to 250 tons of TNT. In northern Ohio, the explosion was so powerful that it caused loud booms and tremors strong enough to shake homes and windows or knock things over, resulting in a series of 911 calls. Many residents said, "We thought a bomb had exploded."

Douglas Hahn, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service (NWS), said that he felt vibrations both at his office south of Cleveland and in the areas around Lake Erie. He noted, "Vibrations were felt in the Lake Erie area as well," and added, "The explosion sound was heard across most of the region."

Local police stated that they received a flood of emergency calls due to sounds presumed to be explosions. Police in Avon, Ohio, said on social media that they were investigating the cause of "explosion sounds heard throughout the city." The sounds were later confirmed to be caused by the meteor impact. The American Meteor Society (AMS) reported more than 140 meteor sighting reports. Fortunately, no casualties or property damage have been reported.

Most meteors burn up in the atmosphere before reaching the ground. However, The Guardian reported that there is a possibility that small fragments remain near Medina County, Ohio. So far, no meteorites have been recovered.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.