There’s been a spike in meteor sightings — experts clash on the cause

On March 17, a six-foot-wide, seven-ton space rock, burst across northeast Ohio around 9 a.m., creating a sonic boom and shock wave that shook houses in suburbs of Cleveland.

The Ohio meteor’s stunning atmospheric entrance was one of 5 fireball events reported to the American Meteor Society in March that recorded more than 200 reports — the largest number of reports than all other reports in March combined since 2011.

According to the AMS, which relies on public submissions to its meteor reporting system, the first quarter of 2026 has been rife with meteor spottings, with a spike in what scientists call “large fireball events.”

But why has there been a spike? And why can’t experts agree on the cause? Here’s what you need to know.