Hillsborough meteorite could hold clues to Earth's origins, study says

A meteorite that crashed through the roof of a New Jersey home in 2024 could help scientists understand the history of our solar system and the origins of life, according to a new study.

The meteorite, named Hillsborough after where it landed, entered the atmosphere on July 16, 2024, as part of a rock "the size of a heavy airline bag." According to the SETI Institute, a nonprofit research organization that studies the origins of life in the universe, 60 observers from New Jersey and the surrounding region reported seeing the meteor, while 16 people in New York and New Jersey felt the shockwave.

The rock was fragile and quickly broke into pieces, according to SETI, with the largest fragments coming down in Hillsborough. The meteorite crashed through a house in Hillsborough and was immediately preserved by the homeowner, giving scientists the opportunity to study its composition.

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"A forensic study of the fragments revealed that they contained preserved bits from near the surface of a small primitive asteroid where it experienced concentrated salty fluids − a process not previously known from this type of proto planet world," said Peter Jenniskens of the SETI Institute and NASA's Ames Research Center, and the lead author of the study published July 15 in Science Advances.

The meteorite was found to contain carbon-bearing compounds, amino acids and other molecules which, according to a news release from SETI, help scientists understand what building blocks of life may have been delivered to early Earth.

"The findings provide new insight into the role of water, brines, and asteroid chemistry in shaping the organic inventory of the early solar system," reads the release.

Some of the meteorite fragments will be curated at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, with curator Denton Ebel telling SETI, "We are thrilled that nature delivered such a precious asteroid sample on our doorstep."

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Hillsborough meteorite could hold clues to Earth's origins, study says