A meteor was reported north of Houston Saturday around 4:40 p.m., which caught the attention of sky watchers across Southeast and South‑Central Texas, including the San Antonio area.
Viewers across the greater Houston metro described it as a sudden, intense streak of light racing across the sky.
Many also reported the delayed or low rumble, sounds consistent with a pressure wave produced when a meteor enters Earth’s atmosphere at an extremely high speed.
According to NASA, eyewitnesses across Texas observed a bright fireball meteor on Saturday, March 21, around 4:40 p.m.
The space agency said the meteor first became visible about 49 miles above Stagecoach, northwest of Houston, before moving southeast at nearly 35,000 miles per hour.
#MeteorSighting: Eyewitnesses in Texas observed a bright fireball today, March 21, at 4:40 p.m. CDT. Current data indicates that the meteor became visible at 49 miles above Stagecoach, northwest of Houston. It moved southeast at 35,000 mph, breaking apart 29 miles above Bammel,… pic.twitter.com/nTXroI89XI
— NASA Space Alerts (@NASASpaceAlerts) March 22, 2026
WHAT HAPPENED IN THE SKY
NASA reports the meteor weighed roughly one ton and measured about three feet in diameter. As it traveled through the atmosphere, it began to break apart about 29 miles above Bammel, creating a powerful pressure wave.
That pressure wave is what caused the loud booms and low rumbles reported across the Houston area. Residents in places out west in Katy and Fulshear compared the sound to thunder, despite clear, cloud-free skies.
Even weather satellites detected the event. The GOES-19 Satellite’s lightning detection instruments picked up a signal.
WHAT ABOUT SAN ANTONIO?
While the meteor broke apart well away from San Antonio, its effects were still noticeable.
Several reports across Bexar County and surrounding areas reported seeing a quick flash on the northern to northeastern horizon late Saturday. Others said they heard a delayed, distant rumble, initially mistaking it for thunder, construction activity or even an explosion.
The reason the meteor could be seen, and in some cases faintly heard, from so far away comes down to physics and atmospheric conditions.
WHY ARE THEY SO LOUD & BRIGHT
Meteors typically enter Earth’s atmosphere at speeds ranging from 25,000 to more than 100,000 miles per hour. As they compress the air in front of them, intense heat builds rapidly, causing the meteor to glow and sometimes fragment.
If the object is large enough, it can generate a sonic boom, similar to what we hear from a supersonic jet, just much higher in the atmosphere.
The sound does not occur at the same time as the flash. Because sound travels much more slowly than light, people may see the meteor first and hear the boom minutes later, depending on how far they are from the event.
At this time, there are no confirmed reports of damage or meteorites reaching the ground. NASA said most meteors burn up completely during atmospheric entry, even those large enough to produce dramatic sights and sounds.
Did you hear or see the meteor moving through the sky Saturday night? Send any pictures or videos to KSAT Connect!
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