Meteorite Punches Through New Jersey Roof After 1-Foot Asteroid Defied NASA Forecast
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 15
Meteorite Punches Through New Jersey Roof After 1-Foot Asteroid Defied NASA Forecast
2 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 15
Summary
At 11:20 a.m. on July 16, 2024, a meteorite tore through a Hillsborough, New Jersey, home's roof and ceiling, scattering dark rocks onto a bed and shaking the house.
The strike came minutes after a fireball crossed skies above New York City at 11:17 a.m., with sightings and a sonic boom reported across Connecticut, Rhode Island and Pennsylvania.
NASA had said the roughly 1-foot asteroid was too small to survive entry and would fully vaporize before reaching the ground, making the home impact an unexpected find.
Inside the bedroom, the homeowners found a sulfurous smell, fine dust and black soot; they later helped identify the object as a meteorite that scientists now value as a rare specimen.