The fireball that shot across the South Texas sky Wednesday evening was a meteoroid that weighed about 1,000 pounds, according to NASA.
The assumption was based on an analysis of preliminary information from several sources, NASA said.
The space agency believes the meteoroid was about two feet in diameter.
“The angle and speed of entry, along with signatures in weather radar imagery, are consistent with other naturally occurring meteorite falls,” NASA said.
Hidalgo County residents felt what was likely a sonic boom, Sheriff J.E. “Eddie” Guerra said during a press conference in Mission on Thursday.
But the question weighing on the minds of Rio Grande Valley residents since the fireball streaked across the sky was whether it landed in Hidalgo County.
Well, NASA experts provided an answer: they believe the meteor, or, namely, parts of it, did reach the ground, basing the conclusion on radar and other data.
“Although meteorites tend to hit Earth’s atmosphere at high speeds, they slow as they travel through the atmosphere, breaking into small fragments before hitting the ground,” the report stated. “Meteorites cool rapidly and generally are not a risk to the public.”
The American Meteor Society said early Thursday morning that the meteor that soared over Mission did not strike that city.
NASA’s report indicates any fragments that may have struck Earth landed in Starr County, not Hidalgo County.
NASA urges those who believe they found fragments of the meteorite to contact the Smithsonian. They ask that clearly focused images in proper lighting be sent to [email protected]
