A meteorite that crashed into the roof of a New Jersey home in July 2024 has “alien chemistry” containing prebiotic molecules and organic compounds that hold clues to how life began on Earth.
The discovery is confirmed by the study published in the journal Science Advances which states that the meteorite weighed 2 pounds when it hit the roof of a house in Hillsborough, New Jersey, after emitting a supersonic boom as it flew over the Statue of Liberty. The fragments were immediately collected by the owner in glass jars using disposable gloves and foil, allowing scientists around the world to perform a unique forensic examination.
According to lead author Peter Jenniskens of the SETI Institute: “Thanks to the owner’s quick response, 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 carbonaceous materials, and it is only the second known fall of this variety, and “one of the most scientifically valuable meteorites ever found,” says the SETI Institute.
But the most astonishing thing is that before breaking away from its parent asteroid, this rock had been encrusted with concentrated salty liquids called brine, which had never been observed before on such a space object. 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 as well as 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.
