After the people of Mission, Texas, heard what CNN has described as a "mysterious" and "ground-rattling" blast on Wednesday evening, authorities have since "solved the mystery," said Hidalgo County Sheriff Eddie Guerra, attributing the boom to a meteorite that crashed into the Earth.
The point of impact still has yet to be located and nobody was injured by the crash. The meteorite was bright enough to be detected by a satellite system meant to detect lightning. It drew attention because there were no storms in the area, CNN writes.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The boom also worried locals, considering it followed reports of the U.S. shooting down multiple objects floating in the sky, including a Chinese spy balloon. "Obviously with all these incidents close, you can imagine what our constituents' and our citizens' fears were," Guerra commented.
"It can frighten our residents, and we want to make sure that we give as much information to our residents to help them feel safe and secure here in our local community," added Rep. Mónica de la Cruz (R-Texas).
According to NASA, "meteorites cool rapidly and generally are not a risk to the public." The agency has asked citizens to let it know if they find any fragments.
-
Who were the ‘weekend snipers’ of Sarajevo?Under the Radar Italian authorities launch investigation into allegations far-right gun enthusiasts paid to travel to Bosnian capital and shoot civilians ‘for fun’ during the four-year siege
-
A free speech debate is raging over sign language at the White HouseTalking Points The administration has been accused of excluding deaf Americans from press briefings
-
Glinda vs. Elphaba, Jennifer Lawrence vs. postpartum depression and wilderness vs. progress in November moviesthe week recommends This month’s new releases include ‘Wicked: For Good,’ ‘Die My Love’ and ‘Train Dreams’
-
‘The Big Crunch’: why science is divided over the future of the universeThe Explainer New study upends the prevailing theory about dark matter and says it is weakening
-
Dinosaurs were thriving before asteroid, study findsSpeed Read The dinosaurs would not have gone extinct if not for the asteroid
-
The moon is rustingUnder the radar The Earth is likely to blame
-
Panspermia: the theory that life was sent to Earth by aliensUnder The Radar New findings have resurfaced an old, controversial idea
-
Africa could become the next frontier for space programsThe Explainer China and the US are both working on space applications for Africa
-
SpaceX breaks Starship losing streak in 10th testspeed read The Starship rocket's test flight was largely successful, deploying eight dummy satellites during its hour in space
-
Hurricanes are not exclusive to Earth. They can happen in space.Under the radar These storms may cause navigational problems
-
Rabbits with 'horns' sighted across Coloradospeed read These creatures are infected with the 'mostly harmless' Shope papilloma virus
