KATY, Texas (Covering Katy News) — A fireball streaked across Texas skies Saturday afternoon, producing a loud boom heard by residents in Katy, Fulshear and Waller County.
What NASA Said About the Fireball
"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," NASA said.
"An analysis of the currently available data indicates that the meteor became visible at an altitude of 49 miles above Stagecoach, located northwest of Houston," NASA said. "It moved southeast at 35,000 miles per hour, breaking apart 29 miles above Bammel, just to the west of Cypress Station."
Stagecoach is a small town in southwestern Montgomery County situated between Tomball and Magnolia.
How Big Was the Meteor and Why Was the Boom So Loud?
NASA reports the rock was roughly the size of a large beach ball — about 3 feet wide — but weighed close to 1 ton, about as much as a small car. Space rocks are far denser than ordinary Earth rocks, so even though it was not large, that weight is not unusual. When it broke apart high in the atmosphere, the explosion was equivalent to detonating 26 tons of TNT — more than five times the force of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, which devastated the Murrah Federal Building and was heard up to 55 miles away.
Katy and Fulshear Residents Heard It Too
A Covering Katy reader reported hearing the boom, saying it was a "loud boom heard in 77441, 77494" — zip codes covering Fulshear and parts of the Katy area.
Waller County Judge: 'The House Shook'
Waller County Judge Trey Duhon said he heard it firsthand. "Waller County is BOOMING apparently and I'm not talking about growth. Apparently a meteor exploded earlier today somewhere near or over our County. I heard it inside the house and the house shook from it."
Duhon noted that his wife, Lisa, was in the yard and the boom "startled her" as well.
Residents across Waller County shared similar experiences on Duhon's Facebook page.
"Heard and felt it here in Waller. Shook the house, I screamed. Hubby thought it was an 18 wheeler blew some tires. I thought he had ran into the side of the house," one resident wrote.
"Shook our house in Old Washington & sounded like a large explosion, anther person wrote on Judge Duhon's Facebook thread. "Literally thought a small airplane had crashed! Police scattered the County looking because of all the reports called in."
Where Did the Meteorite Fragments Land?
NASA said Doppler weather radar detected meteorite fragments falling to the ground between the Willowbrook and Northgate Crossing areas of northwest Houston.
How Was the Fireball Detected?
The fireball was captured by sensors on GOES weather satellites — the same satellites that track hurricanes and storms over the Gulf of Mexico. Dozens of Texas residents also reported seeing it on the website of the American Meteor Society, a national organization that collects eyewitness accounts of meteor sightings from the public.
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