Small meteorites usually burn up when entering the atmosphere, but larger rocks can reach our planet
A ‘possible’ meteorite has been found in the bedroom of a New Jersey home, after it tore a hole in the roof and left the residents baffled, even though they weren’t home at the time.
Police in the town of Hopewell said the metal object in Monday’s accident looked like a shiny boulder, about 4 by 6 inches. The rock appeared to smash through the house, hit a hardwood floor, and then “bounce” into the ceiling, where it made another hole before falling back to the floor.
Susie Cobb said the object fell across the roof of her father’s bedroom at around 1 p.m. “I touched the piece and it was like a piece of mineral rock, and it was warm,” Cobb told local media.
Hopewell Township Police commented on the incident by saying that the rectangular rock damaged the building, and added: “It penetrated the ceiling and then hit the wooden floor before settling. No one was injured in the accident.”
Experts are working to verify the type of rock and see if it is really from space.
Scientists will closely examine the rock, which appears to have a charred outer surface and measures about 10 by 15 centimeters.
It could be 4 to 5 billion years old, and may have been around since the beginning of the solar system, said Derek Bates, senior astronomer at the Franklin Institute.
Small space rocks (meteorites) usually burn and disintegrate when entering the Earth’s atmosphere, but larger rocks can reach the surface of our planet.
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2023-05-10 19:04:00
