A fireball meteor exploded with the force of 250 tons of TNT over Northeast Ohio on Tuesday, March 17, and was visible from as far away as Chicago, Toronto, Philadelphia, and Richmond, Virginia, NASA reports.
A NASA analysis shows the meteor was first visible at an altitude of 50 miles above Lake Erie, off the beaches of Lorain in northern Ohio, moving south and slightly to the east at 40,000 mph. The fireball was caused by a small asteroid nearly 6 feet in diameter and weighing about 7 tons, which traveled over 34 miles through the upper atmosphere before fragmenting 30 miles over Valley City, north of Medina.
The fireball likely rained meteorites over Medina County, which would be the 15th meteorite strike in the Buckeye State, if confirmed by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
The fireball was so bright it could be seen streaking across the sky during the day. Here’s a look at some of the videos that captured the event.
Loud boom rattles Northeast Ohio home, startles dogs
Medina County residents turned to social media Tuesday to report the loud boom created by the meteor rattled windows and shook houses, the Beacon Journal previously reported. It also startled pets, as seen in this video.
Fireball seen streaking across the sky in Pittsburgh, captured by National Weather Service
National Weather Service employee Jared Rackley caught a video of the fireball from the Pittsburgh area, which NWS Pittsburgh shared on social media.
Garage camera captures meteor from Olmsted Falls, Ohio
Dr. Jim Lloyd, superintendent of Olmsted Falls City Schools, shared a video to social media from the district’s bus garage camera in the Cleveland suburb, showing the meteor streaking across the sky.
Doorbell camera captures meteor over Stow, Ohio
X user Kelly Wallin’s doorbell camera caught the fireball passing over Stow, Ohio, northeast of Akron.
How many meteorites have hit Ohio?
Meteorites, meteors that survive the trip through the Earth’s atmosphere and reach the ground, have been confirmed in 14 locations around Ohio, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Ohio is also home to the Serpent Mound Impact Structure, one of only 28 confirmed impact craters in the United States.
Here’s where they were found in the Buckeye State:
What is a shooting star? What is the difference between meteors and meteorites?
Often called shooting stars, meteors are space rocks that create bright streaks across the sky as they burn up in Earth’s atmosphere. However, according to NASA, the same objects are called by different names depending on where they are:
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: NASA confirms fireball meteor explodes over Ohio. See the videos
Reporting by Chad Murphy, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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