Meteorites presumably hit the bottom in an space off FM 755 close to Rio Grande City. Anyone who believes they discover a fragment ought to contact the Smithsonian.
MISSION, Texas — Several Rio Grande Valley residents took to social media Wednesday afternoon after listening to a loud increase and feeling the bottom shake as a meteor entered the environment west of McAllen. NASA confirmed that meteorites did attain the bottom.
The meteor was estimated to weigh about 1,000 kilos and was about two toes in diameter, NASA officers stated.
“Although meteors tend to hit Earth’s atmosphere at high speeds, they slow as they travel through the atmosphere, breaking into small fragments before hitting the ground,” a summary of the event from NASA stated. “Meteorites cool quickly and customarily usually are not a threat to the general public.
NASA gave a map of the place they consider the meteorites fell, which is an space off FM 755 simply northeast of Rio Grande City. Anyone who believes they discover a fragment ought to contact the Smithsonian, NASA officers stated.
“When samples such as the remnants of this event are collected and studied, they enhance our understanding of the origin and evolution of our solar system and our local natural space debris environment,” the NASA abstract stated.
The flash from the meteor was so shiny that climate satellites detected it.
The National Weather Service in Brownsville used a lightning-detecting device, the Geostationary Lightning Mapper, or GLM, to pinpoint the placement of the fireball.
“There was no ongoing thunderstorm activity in the Valley but the GLM still detected a signal at around 523 PM CST Feb 15 per the images below,” a social media publish stated.
Valley resident Marcos shared video of the loud increase that was heard because the meteor fell.
So, how must you deal with fallen meteorites?
NASA stated that it’s best to not contact freshly fallen meteorites together with your arms as chances are you’ll injury the rock.
“Oils and microbes from your skin will slowly degrade the surface of a meteorite, dulling the fusion crust, contaminating the meteorite, and promoting rust,” NASA studies.
Instead, the handling of meteorites ought to be carried out with gloves, tongs, or new aluminum foil. NASA scientists stated meteorites ought to be stored clear and dry and may be wrapped in aluminum foil and sealed in a zip-lock bag to supply it safety from humidity.
Meteorites, that are the fragments of a meteor that survive entry to the environment, usually are not harmful to folks or animals, scientists stated.
story by Source link