Houston meteor explosion: 35,000 mph fireball unleashes 26 tons of TNT energy, NASA confirms Texas boom

A loud boom reported across parts of Texas on Saturday afternoon, March 21, initially feared to be an explosion, has now been linked to a meteor. In social media residents across the Houston area reported hearing a thunderous boom, some describing what sounded like a large explosion. However, officials later clarified that the incident was caused by a meteor that hit Houston, not a ground-level blast.

The Brenham Fire Department said in a facebook post that it responded to reports of a possible explosion near Highway 50 but units on scene did not find any ‘evidence of an explosion.’ According to officials, several witnesses described seeing a “green flash fall from the sky, black smoke, and heard a loud ‘boom.’”

NASA confirms a Houston meteor explosion today

According to NASA, the incident was caused by a bright fireball observed over Texas on March 21. “Many eyewitnesses in the state of Texas have filed reports on the American Meteor Society website of a bright fireball seen on March 21 at 4:40 PM Central Daylight Time (2026 Mar 21 21:40 UTC),” Nasa Space Alert posted on X

“Eyewitnesses in Texas observed a bright fireball today, March 21, at 4:40 p.m. CDT.”

Meteorite fragmentation caused boom across Texas

The space agency explained that the loud sound reported during the houston meteor explosion was caused by the object breaking apart mid-air. “The fragmentation of the meteor - which weighed about a ton with a diameter of 3 feet - created a pressure wave that caused booms heard by some in the area.”

Further data confirmed that fragments may have reached the ground. “Doppler weather radar also showed meteorites produced between Willowbrook and Northgate Crossing” the agency said.

Houston meteor explosion released 26 tons of TNT energy

NASA analysis also suggests the object was traveling at scary speeds before disintegrating. “It moved southeast at 35,000 miles per hour, breaking apart 29 miles above Bammel, just to the west of Cypress Station.” “The disintegration of the asteroidal fragment - which weighed about a ton with a diameter of 3 feet - unleashed an energy of 26 tons of TNT, creating a pressure wave that propagated to the ground and causing the booms heard by some in the area.”

The Houston meteor explosion can also been seen from space, as one X account posted a video of it.



In a separate incident earlier this week, NASA said a fireball was also spotted over Ohio.