NASA said the meteorite was originally about 1 ton and three feet across.
HOUSTON — A massive meteorite broke apart over the Houston area Saturday afternoon, according to NASA. And you may be able to find some pieces of it.
NASA said the meteorite was originally about 1 ton and three feet across.
“The resulting fireball released an amount of energy equivalent to 26 tons of TNT into the atmosphere,” NASA said in a news release. “Most of an object like this is reduced to atoms and fine droplets during the fireball and only a few percent of the total mass survives to reach the ground, scattered across a range of meteorite sizes.”
But where should you look? NASA has released a color-coded map showing where pieces of the meteor may have landed. Here’s what the colors mean:
Dark redWhere 10 kg meteorites may have landedRedWhere 1 kg meteorites may have landedDark orangeWhere 100 g meteorites may have landedLight orangeWhere 10 g meteorites may have landedYellowWhere 1g meteorites may have landed
NASA noted that while the map shows where meteorites weighing up to 10 kg may have landed, it doesn’t guarantee that any fragments that size were produced.
The strewn field, or area where meteorite fragments could be found, ranges from the Champion Forest neighborhood to the Imperial Oaks neighborhood. NASA urges meteorite hunters to be mindful of private property and to not trespass while searching.
Learn more on NASA’s Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science website.
What to do if you find a meteorite?
NASA a page its website detailing what to do if you come across a meteorite. While it says that there’s no danger to humans, it asks that people don’t touch it with their bare hands so that the meteorite isn’t damaged or harmed. Oils and microbes from your skin may be harmful to the meteorite’s surface. For handling, NASA suggests using clean gloves, tongs, or new aluminum foil. The space agency also says to keep the meteorite dry and clean and lists out who to contact if you come across one. NASA has a page of what to do and what not to do if you come across a meteorite.
Possible meteorite may have crashed into home
On Saturday, we spoke to a woman in the Spring area whose home was damaged by what she said was a meteorite. She shared her story with KHOU 11’s Jason Miles.
What’s the difference between a meteor and meteorite?
So what exactly was it that was flying over the Southeast Texas sky on Saturday? We looked on NASA’s site for definitions. Below is what they have posted on this page explaining the difference.
Meteors When meteoroids enter Earth’s atmosphere (or that of another planet, like Mars) at high speed and burn up, the fireballs or “shooting stars” are called meteors.Meteorites When a meteoroid survives a trip through the atmosphere and hits the ground, it’s called a meteorite.
There are also meteoroids, which are rocks that are still are in space. They range in size from dust grains to small asteroids.
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