FIREBALL

Fireball near Cleveland, Ohio

Map: Fireball near Cleveland, Ohio

A fireball, a small asteroid burning up in the atmosphere, exploded about 25 mi (39 km) southwest of Cleveland, Ohio on Tuesday, March 17, 2026 at 12:56 UTC, about 45 km (28 mi) up. U.S. government sensors measured its energy at about 370 tons of TNT, and it was traveling at 14.9 km/s (33,331 mph). Explosions this high up rarely cause damage on the ground.

Energy370 t TNT
Altitude45 km · 28 mi
Speed14.9 km/s
Location41.2°N 82.0°W
Time (UTC)Mar 17 12:56
See it on the live 3D globe →Watch live on YouTube🔔 Get alerts near you

How big was it?

Most fireballs come from rocks a meter or a few meters across. The 2013 Chelyabinsk fireball over Russia, about 440 kilotons, was the largest in a century; it shattered windows across the city. Most land over the ocean, unseen.

Did you know?

Once in a blue moon. A blue moon usually means the second full moon in a calendar month. It happens about every two and a half to three years.

Data: NASA JPL CNEOS fireball reports, from U.S. government sensors.

More: every space weather and near-Earth page · all events

More from around the world