Meteorite fragments from New Jersey home show carbon compounds and amino acids

Fragments recovered after a meteorite struck a home in Hillsborough, New Jersey, contain carbon-bearing compounds, amino acids and other prebiotic molecules, scientists reported. The rock entered the atmosphere at about 32,000 mph and produced a sonic boom heard across the New York City region before impact on July 16, 2024.

preservation The homeowner found a hole in the master bedroom ceiling and collected black fragments along with debris that carried a sulfur-like odor. The pieces were stored using disposable gloves, aluminum foil and glass jars. Doppler weather radar at Newark Liberty International Airport tracked a long cloud of pebbles that fell from Staten Island into New Jersey.

“The fragments preserved bits of a small primitive asteroid once soaked in concentrated salty fluids." — Peter Jenniskens, meteor astronomer for NASA and the SETI Institute, lead author. Dozens of observers in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Pennsylvania reported the event to the American Meteor Society. The meteorite measured roughly the size of a heavy airline bag.”