A loud boom heard and felt across Northeast Ohio on March 17, 2026, was likely caused by a meteor producing a sonic boom, according to the National Weather Service, which cited satellite imagery and video reports.
The event was the second meteor widely reported over Ohio in a little more than a month, following a Feb. 10 sighting described as a bright fireball with blue and green flames.
Where the Cleveland-area boom likely occurred
NWS Cleveland indicated the explosion was likely along the Lake Erie shoreline near Cleveland. WKYC Chief Meteorologist Betsy Kling also said the region likely experienced a sonic boom from a meteor entering the atmosphere, noting that such booms can occur when an object travels faster than the speed of sound and creates a shock wave.
How many meteorites have been found in Ohio?
Ohio has confirmed meteorites from 14 locations, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. The state also has the Serpent Mound Impact Structure, identified as one of only 28 confirmed impact craters in the United States.
- Anderson (Turner Mounds), Hamilton County
- Cincinnati, Hamilton County
- Dayton, Montgomery County
- Enon, Clark County
- Fairfield, Butler County
- Gahanna, Franklin County
- Hopewell Mounds, Ross County
- Kossuth, Auglaize County
- New Concord, Muskingum/Guernsey County
- New Westville, Preble County
- Powellsville, Scioto County
- Pricetown, Highland County
- Tarlton, Fairfield County
- Wooster, Wayne County
Meteoroid vs. meteor vs. meteorite (and “shooting stars”)
What people often call a shooting star is typically a meteor: a space rock burning up and creating a bright streak in Earth’s atmosphere. NASA distinguishes related terms based on where the object is in its path:
- Meteoroids: rocks still in space (from dust-sized grains to small asteroids)
- Meteors: meteoroids that enter Earth’s atmosphere and burn up
- Meteorites: meteoroids that survive the trip and reach the ground
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