The month of March had seen a startling number of meteor impacts make headline news within the United States, from Ohio to Texas. The response online was mainly one of surprise, and strangely enough, sheer disbelief at such an event occurring. Conspiracy theories rose in surprising speed, alleging that NASA and the US government were hiding the true cause of these impacts. While this response is likely due to the ongoing conflict with Iran, many online users alleged that the meteor impact was just a cover-up for a missile detonation.
It’s during times like these that it reveals just how little the population understands about the happenings in space and just how frequently they occur. Meteors are incredibly common, with millions breaching Earth’s atmosphere daily. The most common ones are tiny, largely the size of dust particles, after breaking within Earth’s atmosphere due to their high descent speeds. Larger meteors, while rare, also occur. Meteors similar to the ones recently in Ohio and Texas typically happen in remote areas, like the ocean or during the day, where it’s usually difficult to spot them.
These larger fireball meteors only land annually 5-10 times per year. According to the Meteoritical Society at Washington University in St. Louis, around 1,924 meteorites were found and verified in the U.S. since 1807. The most common meteor-impacted states include Texas, California, and New Mexico, states that often have large swaths of land and not many eyes to see them.
