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Meteorite that crashed into New Jersey home contains building blocks of life, astronomers say
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Key Points:
- A meteorite that crashed into a New Jersey home on July 16, 2024, is now considered one of the most scientifically valuable meteorites ever recovered due to its content of life's building blocks.
- The meteorite, named Hillsborough, is a rare CM1/2 carbonaceous chondrite containing carbon-bearing compounds, amino acids, and other prebiotic molecules, suggesting it may have contributed to the organic inventory of the early solar system and the origins of life on Earth.
- The meteorite entered the atmosphere at about 32,000 mph, causing a sonic boom felt in New York City and New Jersey, and was captured on multiple cameras across several states.
- The homeowner preserved the meteorite fragments carefully, enabling scientists to study one of the most pristine specimens of its kind, which showed evidence of having been soaked in salty fluids conducive to forming life-essential molecules.
- Researchers traced the meteorite's origin to the asteroid belt, and Doppler radar detected a debris cloud from the meteorite's breakup, confirming its fall over the region.
