It came from outer space

February 13, 2013 (WABC) -- This time it wasn't some fake UFO. It really was something from outer space. And what are the odds? A meteor the size of an SUV, hitting Earth after entering the atmosphere at nearly 40,000-plus miles an hour, injuring nearly 1,000 people and landing with the impact of an atomic blast.

Close only counts in horseshoes, hand grenades, and now you can add asteroids.

This one was nearly 8 tons, the biggest meteor (and, yes, scientists tell us you can use meteor and asteroid interchangeably) since 1908 when a meteor flattened a large part of Siberia.

Turns out there's a ton of space junk that crashes into the Earth every day - 100 tons to be exact. Most of the time it causes no harm and it certainly isn't videotaped by Russians driving on the highway and by surveillance camera, and then sent viral via the Internet.

This isn't something that we can easily wrap our heads around, the randomness of getting hurt by a meteor. Tonight at 11, we'll have the latest on the asteroid damage, and how scientists here are analyzing it. Our Jeff Pegues, something of a rocket scientist anyway, is on the story.

Also at 11, is the school bus drivers' strike about to come to an end? It likely is after the Democratic candidates for New York Mayor offered their support for the union, plus a request to suspend the strike on behalf of the kids affected. Carolina Leid will have the latest.

And investigative reporter Jim Hoffer tonight has a warning for anyone about to start home improvement jobs. Make sure your contractor is licensed. Jim tonight has the story of several local homeowners who hired a man who wasn't licensed, and he took them to the cleaners - they're out tens of thousands of dollars.

We'll also have any breaking news of the night, plus Meteorologist Lee Goldberg's weekend AccuWeather forecast - yes, we're getting some snow and a lot of cold - and Rob Powers in Florida for baseball spring training and the night's sports. I hope you can join Sade Baderinwa and me, tonight at 11, right after 20/20.

BILL RITTER

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