NASA Confirms Half-Ton Meteor Has Crashed In South Texas

A nearly 1,000-pound meteor measuring two feet across crashed in southern Texas on Wednesday, reports say.

Fox station KDFW in Dallas reported that NASA confirmed the meteor broke up as it passed through the atmosphere to its resting place near McAllen, Texas at around 6 p.m.

“Although meteorites tend to hit the Earth’s atmosphere at high speed, they slow down as they pass through the atmosphere, breaking into small fragments before hitting the ground. Meteorites cool quickly and are generally not a hazard for the public,” NASA said in a statement.

The space agency released a report of the incident along with a map showing an area where pieces of the meteor likely landed.

KDFW released video captured by a home security camera with birds scattering and the sound of a sonic boom.

According to the Brownsville/Rio Grande Valley National Weather Service, multiple people reported a possible meteor in the sky west of McAllen. The weather agency also reported that the meteor flash was captured by a geostationary Lightning Mapper just before 5:30 p.m.

The Lightning Mapper satellite measures lightning from space, and in a Facebook post on Wednesday, the NWS said there was no thunderstorm activity in the area when the meteor hit.

Hidalgo County Sheriff Eddie Guerra posted on Twitter that he was notified by Houston air traffic controllers that two planes reported seeing a meteor in the sky near McAllen as well.

“The meteor seen in the sky above McAllen is a reminder of the need for NASA and other organizations to increase our understanding and protection of Earth, to combine scientific and engineering expertise to advance space exploration humanity, integrate terrestrial and planetary research to advance our understanding of the solar system, and promote successful space missions by mitigating risk,” NASA said.