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Meteorite Crashes Through Texas Home, NASA Details Impact

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A meteorite weighing nearly a ton crashed through a Texas home's roof, startling residents but causing no injuries, according to NASA and local authorities.

The space rock, estimated at three feet in diameter, entered the atmosphere near Houston on Saturday afternoon, creating a bright fireball visible across the region. It broke apart 29 miles above Bammel, scattering meteorites that included one punching a fist-sized hole in a northwest Harris County residence. The incident, described by Harris County Fire Chief Fred Windisch as unprecedented in his decades-long career, left a visible rock on the bedroom floor after ricocheting off the ceiling.

Sherrie James, the homeowner, shared her shock on social media, noting she was grateful for the lack of injuries and established a GoFundMe to cover repairs. NASA confirmed the meteor produced booms heard across the area due to the pressure wave generated by its atmospheric entry. This event follows a similar fireball over Pennsylvania and Ohio just days prior, highlighting increased meteor activity in recent weeks.

NASA's analysis details the meteor's path and fragmentation, emphasizing the rarity of such a large object surviving atmospheric entry to impact a populated area. The incident underscores the ongoing need for monitoring near-Earth objects, though no immediate market or regulatory implications are evident from the report.