Texas fireball remnants recovered?

ABC News reports that two astronomers from the University of North Texas have found what they think are the remnants of the giant fireball that streaked across the sky over the state last Sunday. While the flaming object initially sparked fears of space debris from the recent collision of two satellites crashing to Earth, it soon became clear that this fireball was moving too fast to be anything other than a meteor, albeit a chunky one causing many rattled windows. Apparently the small remnants have been taken to a lab for further study. 

The Waco Tribune-Herald has the far more entertaining human angle, with some pictures too. It seems like Sunday’s meteorite sparked a statewide rock-hunt by an amusing medley of meteorite bounty hunters – there’s Karl the Texan Frankfurter, Michael  “the Russians beat us to it” Farmer from Arizona, the unidentified clever Russian who got there first and his American sidekick, decidedly suspect for residing in Mexico. Farmer reckons the state will soon be overrun with meteorite hunters all looking for a piece of the pie. “These objects are worth money,” he told a reporter.

Coincidentally, I’ll be spending the next month in Austin, Texas, and who knows, I might just go hunt for some meteorites. It looks like fun.

If you want some actual information, Daniel has it here.

Image credit: Rod Aydelotte