The meteoroid was traveling about 27,000 mph (43,452 kph) when it struck the atmosphere, exploding into smaller pieces

The meteoroid was traveling about 27,000 mph (43,452 kph) when it struck the atmosphere.

A meteorite from a 1,000-pound space rock that exploded over Texas this month with the power of 8 tons of TNT has been discovered by scientists.

The Earth is constantly being pummeled by meteoroids, or organic space debris, or space rocks. Fortunately, most meteoroids are small—they usually range in size from a grain of sand to a pebble—and they rarely endanger the planet or the life that lives there.

However, on February 15, a significantly bigger meteoroid crashed into the atmosphere of Earth, and pieces of it rained down across Texas. In a statement(opens in new tab), N.A.S.A’s Johnson Space Center verified the occurrence and stated that the meteoroid most likely measured about 2 feet (0.6 meters) in diameter and weighed about 1,000 pounds (454 kilograms) when it entered the atmosphere.

The event took place in the skies above McAllen, Texas, a town about 60 miles [96] west of Brownsville along the Mexico border. Around 5:30 p.m. CST (2330 GMT) on Feb. 15, local law enforcement agencies received reports of a loud boom, and Houston Air Traffic Control received meteor reports from two aircraft, per Hidalgo County Sheriff Eddie Guerra(opens in new tab).

The following day, N.A.S.A issued its statement confirming the event, with N.A.S.A Meteor Watch sharing additional details in a Facebook post. The meteoroid was traveling about 27,000 mph (43,452 kph) and exploded with the force of 8 tons of TNT at an altitude of about 21 miles (34 km). (For comparison, the largest non-nuclear warhead ever detonated by the U.S. military, the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast(opens in new tab), exploded with the force of 11 tons of TNT.)

While most meteors burn up before their fragments reach the surface, the Feb. 15 meteor produced several meteorites (fragments of space rock that reach the ground), according to N.A.S.A. The American Meteor Society confirmed(opens in new tab) that planetary science researcher and meteorite hunter Robert Ward discovered the first meteorite from the event near El Sauz, Texas.

A map showing the location in southern Texas where a meteorite was found on Feb. 18, 2023. (Image credit: American Meteor Society)

Robert Ward of Prescott Arizona with First Meteorite Found in Texas on Feb 18th, 2023 (Image credit: AMS/Robert Ward)

The event marked the third large meteor event in three days; on Feb. 13, a three-foot (one-meter) asteroid lit up the night skies in France and England, while on Feb. 14, a fireball was recorded over southern Italy.

N.A.S.A notes that once they’re on the ground, meteorites cool quickly and generally don’t pose a risk to humans. If you find a suspected meteorite, N.A.S.A asks you to report it to the Smithsonian Institution, which maintains the national collection of meteorites.

Soucre: www.space.com