Rare daytime fireball may have dropped meteorites on Texas: Here's where to find them
Space • • science
Key Points:
- NASA released a "strewn field" map showing where meteorites from a daytime fireball likely fell over Houston on March 21, following an explosive disintegration equivalent to 26 tons of TNT.
- The roughly 1-ton meteor created a bright flash and loud booms heard by residents, with fragments detected falling for eight minutes after breaking up 29 miles above Harris County.
- The map indicates potential meteorite locations between Willowbrook and Northgate Crossing, with larger fragments concentrated in the red zone and smaller pieces in the yellow zone.
- NASA warns the map is provisional and advises against trespassing on private property during searches, recommending verification through local geology departments if a meteorite is found.
- Handling meteorites carefully is important to preserve their scientific value, as these fragments date back to the solar system's formation.
