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Author
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Topic: Reports of South Texas 2.15.23 meteor(ite)
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SpaceAholic
Member Posts: 5218
From: Sierra Vista, Arizona
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 02-15-2023 08:46 PM
   
Nice show for South Texas cS members: Two aircraft reported seeing a meteorite west of McAllen Wednesday, [Feb 15] according to Hidalgo County Sheriff Eddie Guerra. Guerra was informed of the meteorite via federal authorities, who said Houston air Traffic Control received the reports from the aircraft, the sheriff said in a social media post. "Where the exact point of impact is unknown," Guerra said in a tweet. "No reports of any damage in that area has been received." |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 50010
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 02-15-2023 10:56 PM
No confirmed videos yet, but the National Weather Service noted possible evidence of a meteor (via Twitter): There's been reports of a possible meteorite this evening west of McAllen. One of the satellite tools we use is the Geostationary Lightning Mapper and it measures lightning as observed from space. GLM detected a signal at 523 PM with no storms around. No official confirmation yet.The image on the left is from GOES-16 (East) at 5:24 PM CST. The image on the right is from GOES-18 (West) at 5:23 PM CST.  |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 50010
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 02-16-2023 07:11 PM
NASA statement (via Twitter): NASA is examining reports of a meteorite about 6 p.m. EST, Feb. 15, near McAllen, Texas. So far, NASA is not aware of reports of injury or property damage.NASA experts believe the object was a meteoroid about two feet in diameter weighing about 1,000 pounds. The angle and speed of entry, along with signatures in weather radar imagery, are consistent with other naturally occurring meteorite falls. |
Blackarrow
Member Posts: 3564
From: Belfast, United Kingdom
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 02-16-2023 09:02 PM
"Naturally occurring"?? Hah! It's aliens trying to take out Starbase at Boca Chica. |
SpaceAholic
Member Posts: 5218
From: Sierra Vista, Arizona
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 02-17-2023 03:53 PM
From the link to NASA's Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science report: Radar and other data indicate that meteorites did reach the ground from this event. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 50010
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 02-17-2023 05:38 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Blackarrow:
"Naturally occurring"??
Jokes aside, I believe NASA is distinguishing between asteroid/planetary fragments and human-made space debris. |
SpaceAholic
Member Posts: 5218
From: Sierra Vista, Arizona
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 02-23-2023 10:28 PM
From the American Meteor Society: Falling debris from the meteorite was recorded on NOAA's NEXRAD doppler weather radar and this led meteorite hunters to the general location of the fall. On February 18th, first meteorite fragment linked to this event was recovered near El Sauz TX on private property by planetary science researcher, Robert Ward of Prescott Arizona.  
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stsmithva
Member Posts: 2067
From: Fairfax, VA
Registered: Feb 2007
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posted 02-25-2023 05:11 AM
One local news story promising video was illustrated with a picture of a gigantic fireball... but then the video was of a backyard showing a bird take off as a faint "whump" was heard as the meteorite broke the sound barrier (slowing down).Interestingly (kinda), this was ten years to the day since the same effect caused more than a bird taking off in Russia. |
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