The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) confirmed that a meteoroid weighing 1,000 pounds (lb) possibly exploded in the skies above Texas and dispersed fragments over the ground on Feb. 15. The space agency made the confirmation in a press release.
"Based on analysis of preliminary information from several sources, NASA experts believe the object was a meteoroid about two feet in diameter weighing about 1,000 lb. The angle and speed of entry, along with signatures in weather radar imagery, are consistent with other naturally occurring meteorite falls. Radar and other data indicate the meteorites did reach the ground from this event," it said.
According to NASA, the meteoroid was traveling about 27,000 miles per hour before breaking up into fragments at an altitude of 21 miles. The meteoroid's explosion carried an amount of energy equal to eight tons of TNT, which corresponded to a loud explosion reported by several residents in southern Texas. In spite of this, no injuries or damages to property were reported. (Related: Fragments of a rare meteorite shower small Brazilian town.)
The NASA press release added that the Feb. 15 incident serves as a reminder for the space agency and other organizations to step up their understanding and protection of the planet, "to combine scientific and engineering expertise to advance human space exploration, to integrate terrestrial and planetary research for furthering our understanding of the solar system and to promote successful space missions by mitigating risks."
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Aside from NASA, the National Weather Service's (NWS) satellite system in Brownsville, Texas detected the space object. The NWS Brownsville/Rio Grande Valley sector shared in a social media post that its Geostationary Lightning Mapper detected a signal around 5:23 p.m. despite the absence of storms around. The signal occurred about the same time Texans in the southern part of the country reported the explosion.
Residents thought meteoroid explosion was an earthquake
According to authorities, many concerned residents panicked about the meteoroid – with some believing it was an earthquake.
In an interview with NBC 5, Mission Police Department Chief Cesar Torres said local 911 dispatchers received several calls from residents about loud crashes and a probable "explosion" that shook their homes.
Hidalgo County Sheriff Eddie Guerra seconded Torres' comments, saying during a press conference that residents reported seeing the meteoroid and hearing a boom that sounded like thunder. The sheriff had also received a report from the Federal Bureau of Investigation about two pilots flying near Houston who seemingly also noticed the meteoroid.
"Obviously with all these incidents close, you can imagine what our constituents' and our citizens' fears were," Guerra said, referencing recent incidents of fighter jets shooting down foreign objects in American airspace. He added that the exact point of impact is unknown.
Rep. Monica De La Cruz (R-TX), who represents the area affected by the meteoroid explosion, stated that officials were still working to understand if the space object hit the ground.
"We have meteorites that have hit all over. NASA scientists estimate that every single day our planet is hit by over 100 tons of dust and particles from space. So again, while this is not a normal situation here in the Rio Grande Valley, it does occur," De La Cruz said in an interview.
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Watch this video that expounds on the massive meteorite blasts reported in Indonesia and Cuba.
This video is from the Red Pilled News channel on Brighteon.com.
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