Meteor with 'loud boom' seen in Ohio, Pennsylvania
Meteor with "loud boom" seen and heard around Ohio and Pennsylvania: NWS
A loud boom heard the morning of March 17, 2026, around Ohio and Pennsylvania was caused by a meteor, according to the National Weather Service. Video: Jared Rackley/NWS Pittsburgh / NOAA
A loud boom heard around Ohio and beyond Tuesday morning was caused by a meteor, according to the National Weather Service Office in Cleveland.
The service shared an update saying imagery suggested the boom was a result of a meteor.
Loud boom in Ohio
NWS employee captures video of meteor over Pittsburgh. (Jared Rackley/NWS Pittsburgh / NOAA)
What they're saying:
The latest GLM imagery (1301Z) does suggest that the boom was a result of a meteor," officials said on social media.
Video perspective:
An employee with the Pittsburgh station also caught video of the meteor from the area.
What is a meteor?
Big picture view:
A meteor is a space rock (meteorite) that has entered Earth’s atmosphere. It often enters at high speeds and burns up, looking to us like a fireball or "shooting star."
A meteorite is a rock that survives the trip through the atmosphere and hits the ground.
Dig deeper:
Meteors travel through the sky at tens of thousands of miles per hour — well above the speed of sound — and their altitude and size dictate whether a sonic boom can be heard on the Earth's surface, according to FOX Weather.
The Source: Information in this article was taken from various National Weather Service stations, and from NASA. This story was reported from Detroit.