Object that crashed into New Jersey home confirmed to be meteorite

Scientists at the University of New Jersey have identified the object, which measures about 12x10 cm and weighs about 1 kg, as a rare chondrite meteorite.

A meteorite has just fallen to Earth. Photo: Hopewell Police Department

They came to that conclusion after conducting visual inspections, density measurements, and scanning electron microscope images. The examination was assisted by Jerry Delaney, a retired meteorite expert from Rutgers University and the American Museum of Natural History.

“We are delighted to be able to confirm that this object is a true chondrite meteorite, in excellent condition, and one of the very few chondrite falls known to science,” said Nathan Magee, chair of the physics department at the College of New Jersey.

The family who own the house discovered the black, potato-sized rock in a corner of the room – still warm – at around 12.30pm on Monday. Experts believe it fell onto the house shortly before it was found.

The front of the meteorite burned as it passed through Earth's atmosphere. Photo: Hopewell Police Department

Police in Hopewell Township, in the New Jersey state capital of Trenton, said no one was injured and there was no serious damage to the home.

Suzy Kop, the homeowner, said they initially thought someone had thrown a rock into the upstairs bedroom on Monday, but they quickly realized that wasn't the case.

Kop said officials went to their home to test her family, in case they had been exposed to some type of radioactive material, but those tests came back negative.

Hoang Anh (according to AP, CNN)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/vat-the-roi-xuong-ngoi-nha-o-new-jersey-duoc-xac-nhan-la-thien-thach-post247392.html