Large meteor causes sonic boom, illuminates sky, possibly crashes near Austin
HOUSTON - What scientists believe is a meteor ignited across the Texas sky late Sunday night.
The fireball was spotted throughout Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas. According to the American Meteor Society, they received more than 200 reports on the meteor.
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"I turned to my daughter [and] my neighbor Rose. We were like, what was that?" said Tara Gates. "We were amazed."
Surveillance cameras in Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, and Austin recorded the rare event.
"It’s most definitely a meteor," said Robert Lunsford from the American Meteor Society. "I’d estimate one to two meters in size. Maybe the size of a small car."
Lunsford says the American Meteor Society’s data has created a possible trajectory for the meteor. According to Lunsford, the meteor likely landed within five miles of Austin.
"Have folks go out and check it out," said Lunsford. "Look for something kind of burnt."
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In between Austin and Houston, some people reported hearing a sonic boom associated with the meteor.
"I just heard this loud explosion," said Araceli Jacobo from Bastrop. "The house kind of vibrated. There was a brief moment [where I thought] are we under attack? Everything crosses your mind."
Right now, it’s unknown if the meteor was a lone space rock or part of a larger ongoing meteor shower.