AUSTIN (KXAN) — A fireball was seen hurtling across the Central Texas sky Thursday morning as commuters made their way to work.
One KXAN viewer captured the meteor’s descent on his dashboard camera at 5:36 a.m. while driving down State Highway 71. The space rock hit the atmosphere illuminating into a bright blue light before finally disappearing from sight.
Another viewer’s doorbell camera from a south Austin home captured the meteor.
The American Meteor Society, which reports and tracks meteoric phenomena across the world, received over 38 reports across the Lone Star State of the meteor. It’s been spotted as far north as Oklahoma City and as far east as eastern Louisiana.
- DID YOU KNOW: Before entering our atmosphere, a meteor is called a meteoroid. If it doesn’t break apart and lands on Earth it is called a meteorite.
According to the American Meteor Society, fireballs like the one seen Thursday morning occur in the thermosphere, about 50 to 75 miles above the Earth. The typically enter the atmosphere at speeds of up to 160,000 miles per hour.
For more on meteors check out the American Meteor Society’s FAQ page here.
