Authorities in Hopewell Township, New Jersey reported that a meteorite is believed to have struck the roof of a house on Monday, with the metallic object crashing through the roof and ricocheting around the bedroom. Fortunately, no family members were present at the time, and no injuries were sustained. Police are investigating the incident to determine the object’s precise nature, but suspect it may be related to the ongoing Eta Aquariids meteor shower, which occurs annually as debris from Halley’s Comet enters the Earth’s atmosphere. The meteor shower was expected to peak on Saturday, with the event likely to last until May 27.
Suzy Kop, a member of the family whose house was hit, stated that she touched the object, believing it to be a random rock, and described it as warm. The authorities stated that the object was about four inches by six inches in size, and had penetrated the roof, ceiling and hardwood floor before coming to a stop.
Meteorites can reach scorching temperatures as they fall through the Earth’s atmosphere due to high pressure and friction, although they typically cool down before hitting the ground. While space rocks falling to Earth are evenly distributed across the planet, it is rare for them to hit populated areas, as the majority of the Earth’s surface is covered by undeveloped areas or oceans.
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