A thunderous boom startled northeast Ohio on Tuesday as a meteor exploded over the Greater Cleveland area, later identified by NASA as a small asteroid breaking apart in the atmosphere, according to Cleveland.com.
Initial reports from the National Weather Service suggested a sonic boom, but further analysis indicated the object was a roughly 7-ton asteroid, about six feet in diameter.
The fireball was first observed about 50 miles above Lake Erie near Lorain, traveling at approximately 40,000 miles per hour. It moved about 34 miles through the upper atmosphere before disintegrating over Valley City in Medina County. NASA estimated the explosion released energy equivalent to 250 tons of TNT, producing a pressure wave that caused the loud noises reported by residents.
NASA scientist Bill Cooke said Doppler radar data indicate fragments likely reached the ground. Meteorite hunters have already begun searching the area, though experts say any recovered pieces are expected to be small and difficult to locate.
