Mysterious object that rocked Texas last week identified as a probable meteorite by NASA

A mysterious object that crashed in texas last week was identified as a meteorite. NASA experts believe the object weighed a staggering 1,000 pounds as it hurtled towards Earth last week, before breaking into pieces and landing near McAllen, Texas, in the southern part of the state, close to its border with Mexico.

The meteor traveled at about 27,000 miles per hour, according to NASA Meteor Watch, which posted about the meteorite on Facebook. The angle and speed at which it entered the atmosphere and weather radar images helped NASA determine that the object was most likely a meteorite.

On February 15, several law enforcement agencies near McAllen said they had received calls from residents who heard what sounded like an explosion after 5:00 pm. Houston Air Traffic Control received two aircraft reports of a meteorite west of the city, Hidalgo County Sheriff Eddie Guerra he said federal agencies told him.

Photos and videos taken in the area showing what appeared to be a meteor trail in the sky were shared on Twitter and other websites. home security videos show the earth shaking and a loud bang as the meteor apparently landed.

The American Meteor Society, which collects and publishes information on meteor sightings across the US, shared an image of the meteorite after it landed in Texas. The organization said three different meteorites hit Earth in three days – in Texas, France and Italy.

Meteoroids are objects in space – often referred to as “space rocks”. When they enter Earth’s atmosphere, they are called meteors, and are often referred to as “shooting stars” or “fireballs”. Meteorites not only enter the Earth’s atmosphere, but also hit the ground.

Meteorites often break up into fragments as they head toward Earth and it appears this one did so at an altitude of 21 miles. The meteoroid was about two feet in diameter, NASA estimates.

NASA said the meteorite did not appear to have caused any damage. But it had the power of about 8 tons of TNT.

Meteorites like this one are often taken away by the Smithsonian Institution and other institutions, and anyone who finds what they believe is a fragment of this meteorite should contact the Smithsonian, NASA said.

About once a year, a car-sized asteroid enters Earth’s atmosphere, but it typically burns up before reaching the surface, creating a stunning fireball that streaks across the sky, NASA says. Space rocks smaller than 82 feet are likely to burn up in the atmosphere and do no harm to Earth.

It is estimated that more than 100 tons of dust and sand-sized particles enter Earth from space every day. Every 2,000 years, a meteor the size of a football field hits Earth, causing significant damage.