A meteorite that crashed into the roof of a New Jersey home in July 2024 has “alien world chemistry” containing prebiotic molecules and organic compounds that hold clues to how life on Earth began.
The discovery is confirmed by a study published in the journal Science Advances that states that the meteorite weighed 2 pounds when it hit the roof of a house in Hillsborough, New Jersey, after having produced a sonic boom while flying over the Statue of Liberty. The fragments were immediately collected by the owner in glass jars using disposable gloves and aluminum foil, allowing scientists from around the world to conduct a unique forensic examination.
According to lead author Peter Jenniskens of the SETI Institute: “Thanks to the owner’s quick reaction, these are the most pristine CM1/2 meteorites we know of.”
This meteorite was classified as a CM1/2 carbonaceous chondrite, a type of meteorite rich in carbon-containing material, and is only the second known fall of this variety, and “one of the most scientifically valuable meteorites ever found,” says the SETI Institute.
But most surprising of all, it was discovered that before this rock separated from its parent asteroid, it was encrusted with concentrated salty liquids called brine, which had never before been observed in any space object of this type. The high concentrations of salt in brine help form important biological compounds through chemical reactions by keeping the phosphate in solution.
The chemical composition of the meteorite revealed that it contained 1.8% carbon and 0.07% nitrogen along with a wide variety of soluble organic compounds, including amino acids and magnesium. These chemical compounds are similar to those found in living organisms, including compounds involved in blood and photosynthesis.
Some fragments of the meteorite will now be preserved at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.
