Additional Coverage:
Houston Home Hit by Suspected Meteorite, Creating Quite a Stir!
Ponderosa, TX – Residents in a North Houston suburb got a cosmic surprise Saturday night when what appears to be a meteorite crashed through a local home, leaving a trail of destruction and a whole lot of questions.
Ponderosa Fire Chief Fred Windisch confirmed to CBS News that a celestial object, “a little bigger than his hand,” tore through the roof and two stories of a woman’s house before coming to rest in her kitchen. Talk about an unexpected houseguest!
NASA weighed in on the celestial event, reporting that a meteor became visible 49 miles above Stagecoach, northwest of Houston, at 4:40 p.m. local time. This speedy space rock was zipping southeast at a staggering 35,000 miles per hour before breaking apart 29 miles above Bammel, just west of Cypress Station.
According to NASA, the meteor, estimated to weigh about a ton and measure 3 feet in diameter, created a powerful pressure wave as it fragmented. This wave resulted in loud “booms” that were heard by many across the Houston area. CBS affiliate KHOU reported numerous residents describing a low, rumbling sound, akin to thunder, despite clear skies.
This incident follows a busy week for space debris, with an approximately 7-ton asteroid whizzing over several states at 45,000 mph earlier. And let’s not forget last June’s spectacular show, when a bright meteor lit up the southeastern U.S. skies before exploding over Georgia, producing similar booming sounds.
For this Ponderosa homeowner, however, the cosmic display was a little too close for comfort. We’ll keep you updated as officials investigate this out-of-this-world event!