Could Hollywood really be onto something when it comes to the end of the world (like Don’t Look Up)? Earlier this month, an asteroid was reported to be flying past Earth, and now, residents in Ohio are wondering if a meteor was in their midst. People in the Cleveland area began their day on March 17, 2026, St. Patrick’s Day, like any other, only to be jolted by a loud explosion. The boom prompted many to speculate about the possibility of a meteorite on social media — or worse.
So, what was that loud explosion heard in Ohio on March 17, 2026? Here’s what officials have said so far and everything else we know.
What Was the Loud Explosion in Ohio?
The National Weather Service (NWS) in Cleveland tweeted that the loud boom “was the result of a meteor.” The noise was heard by most people in Northeast Ohio.
The NWS cited Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) imagery in its response to a person who tweeted, “Heard the loudest boom just now in northeast OH. People heard it as far as Avon. What was that? Meteor?”
The latest GLM imagery (1301Z) does suggest that the boom was a result of a meteor. pic.twitter.com/CH7oJ4Q1OY
— NWS Cleveland (@NWSCLE) March 17, 2026
What Is the Difference Between a Meteor, an Asteroid & a Comet?
Meteors, asteroids and comets are all objects orbiting the Sun, but each of them is different from the other. According to NASA, an asteroid is “a small, rocky object and when seen in a telescope, it appears as a point of light.” Some of these objects are round and others can appear elongated. Most are typically found in the asteroid belt, which is a ring between the orbit of Mars and Jupiter.
A comet, on the other hand, is an object made of ice and dust, and when it gets close to the Sun, it begins to vaporize. So, a comet usually appears fuzzy or has a tail when seen in a telescope, per NASA.
Meteoroids are pieces of an asteroid or a comet and can be as small as a pebble. They’re usually created from a collision, and when a meteoroid enters Earth’s atmosphere, it is then called a meteor. The meteor enters the atmosphere at high speeds and burns, thus producing a streak of light that we tend to call a “shooting star.” But if a meteor survives the burn and ends up landing on the surface, it would then be called a meteorite.
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