Scientists have discovered a meteorite from a 1,000-pound space rock that exploded over Texas with the drive of 8 tons of TNT this month.
At any given second, the Earth is being bombarded by items of natural space particles often known as meteoroids. Thankfully, most meteoroids are tiny, with a typical dimension starting from a grain of sand and a pebble, they usually do not sometimes pose a menace to the planet or the life on it.
However on Feb. 15, a a lot bigger meteoroid slammed into Earth’s atmosphere, and fragments of it rained down throughout Texas. NASA’s Johnson Area Middle confirmed the occasion in a statement (opens in new tab), which famous that the meteoroid doubtless measured about 2 toes (0.6 meters) throughout and weighed about 1,000 kilos (454 kilograms) when it entered the ambiance.
Associated: What Are Meteorites?
The occasion happened within the skies above McAllen, Texas, a city about 60 miles [96] west of Brownsville alongside the Mexico border. Round 5:30 p.m. CST (2330 GMT) on Feb. 15, native regulation enforcement companies obtained stories of a loud growth, and Houston Air Visitors Management obtained meteor stories from two plane, per Hidalgo County Sheriff Eddie Guerra (opens in new tab).
The next day, NASA issued its assertion confirming the occasion, with NASA Meteor Watch sharing further particulars in a Facebook post. The meteoroid was touring about 27,000 mph (43,452 kph) and exploded with the drive of 8 tons of TNT at an altitude of about 21 miles (34 km). (For comparability, the most important non-nuclear warhead ever detonated by the U.S. navy, the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast (opens in new tab), exploded with the drive of 11 tons of TNT.)
Whereas most meteors dissipate earlier than their fragments attain the floor, the Feb. 15 meteor produced a number of meteorites (fragments of space rock that attain the bottom), based on NASA. The American Meteor Society confirmed (opens in new tab) that planetary science researcher and meteorite hunter Robert Ward found the primary meteorite from the occasion close to El Sauz, Texas.
The occasion marked the third giant meteor occasion in three days; on Feb. 13, a three-foot (one-meter) asteroid lit up the night skies in France and England, whereas on Feb. 14, a fireball was recorded over southern Italy.
NASA notes that after they’re on the bottom, meteorites cool shortly and usually do not pose a danger to people. If you happen to discover a suspected meteorite, NASA asks you to report it to the Smithsonian Institution, which maintains the nationwide assortment of meteorites.
Observe Stefanie Waldek on Twitter @StefanieWaldek (opens in new tab). Observe us on Twitter @Spacedotcom (opens in new tab) and on Facebook (opens in new tab).
