AP News reported on the detonation of a substantial meteor, weighing roughly seven tons, as it plunged into Earth’s atmosphere above the US state of Ohio. This celestial visitor was hurtling at a velocity nearing 72,000 kilometers per hour and disintegrated upon entry, unleashing a massive sonic boom.
Locals first observed it at an altitude of approximately 80 kilometers above Lake Erie. Experts estimated the object’s diameter to be 1.8 meters. After traversing about 55 kilometers through the upper atmospheric layers, it broke apart over the northern reaches of Ohio. Similar bright fireballs were also witnessed by residents across a vast area spanning from Wisconsin to Maryland.
The American Meteor Society confirmed that the meteor streaked across the sky around 9 AM on March 18th. Observers noting it with the naked eye was considered an unusual occurrence among such atmospheric phenomena by specialists.
The cosmic body’s disintegration released energy comparable to 250 tons of TNT—leading locals to report a loud rumble and sounds resembling explosions, with personnel from the National Weather Service even recording vibrations attributable to the shockwave.
Although no official confirmation of recovered debris has been announced yet, experts believe that some smaller pieces might have made it to the ground.
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