A suspected meteorite crashed into a home in suburban Houston on Saturday night, according to local residents and officials. The incident occurred in the Spring area, where homeowner Sherrie James discovered a hole in her ceiling and a rock that she thought looked like a meteor.
James reported the incident to the local fire department, who initially suspected it might have fallen from a plane. However, they later informed her that reports indicated a meteor had exploded over north Houston, scattering fragments.
Nasa confirmed the event on Saturday, stating that eyewitnesses observed a bright fireball at 4.40pm local time. The meteor became visible 49 miles above Stagecoach, north-west of Houston, and moved south-east at 35,000mph before breaking apart 29 miles above Bammel. The space agency noted that the meteor weighed about a ton and was 3 feet in diameter, creating a pressure wave that caused booms heard by residents.
Local residents reported hearing thunder-like noises despite clear skies. Doppler weather radar indicated meteorites were produced between Willowbrook and Northgate Crossing. The event follows a similar meteor in Ohio days earlier that created a sonic boom heard as far as Pennsylvania.
