HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP (AP) – A metallic object that punched a hole in the roof of a central New Jersey home in the United States, smashing into a hardwood floor and bouncing around a bedroom, was a meteorite, experts announced recently.
Scientists with The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) determined the six-by-four-inch object, which weighs about 2.2 pounds, is a rare stony chondrite meteorite.
They came to that conclusion after conducting a visual examination, making density measurements and scanning electron microscope images. They were assisted in their work by retired meteorite expert Jerry Delaney from Rutgers University and the American Museum of Natural History.
The family that owns the home discovered the black, potato-sized rock in a corner – still warm around 12.30pm last Monday. The experts believe it hit the home a short time before it was found.
