A large meteor weighing approximately seven tons entered Earth's atmosphere over the U.S. state of Ohio. The object was traveling at roughly 72,000 kilometers per hour and disintegrated in the atmosphere, producing a powerful blast that many residents mistook for an explosion, according to AP News.

The meteor was first spotted at an altitude of approximately 80 kilometers above Lake Erie. The object was about 1.8 meters in diameter. It traveled roughly 55 kilometers through the upper atmosphere before breaking apart over northern Ohio. However, the bright fireball was visible to residents across several states, from Wisconsin to Maryland.

According to the American Meteor Society, the meteor crossed the sky at around 9 a.m. and was visible to the naked eye, which is relatively rare for such events.

The energy released during the object's disintegration was equivalent to approximately 250 tons of TNT. Residents of the region heard a loud rumble, and staff at the National Weather Service even felt vibrations.

The U.S. National Weather Service confirmed detection of the shock wave. No reports of recovered fragments have been received so far, though specialists say small pieces may have reached the surface.