Scientists have discovered rare amino acids in a meteorite that crashed through the roof of a residential home in New Jersey, United States, in the summer of 2024. Researchers believe the findings could help explain how water and organic compounds essential for life arrived on early Earth, reports the website infohub.kz.
The space rock entered the atmosphere on July 16, 2024, producing a bright flash and a powerful sonic boom observed by residents in New York and surrounding areas. According to experts, the meteorite initially weighed about 53 kilograms (117 pounds) and was traveling at approximately 14 kilometers per second (31,300 mph). It exploded in the atmosphere with an energy equivalent to 1.3 tons of TNT.
One fragment weighing 1.35 kilograms (3 pounds) pierced the roof of a home in Hillsborough and landed directly in a bedroom, causing no injuries. The homeowner managed to preserve the find in near-pristine condition: he collected the fragments wearing gloves, wrapped them in aluminum foil, and placed them in glass containers, which helped prevent significant contamination from earthly substances.
Analysis showed that the meteorite belongs to a rare class of carbonaceous chondrites, type CM2, which are considered among the primary candidates for delivering water and organic compounds to the young Earth. In the samples, scientists detected elevated levels of sodium, indicating that a salty brine once existed inside the parent asteroid.
Additionally, the researchers found organic matter and several rare varieties of amino acids that are seldom encountered on Earth. It is believed that these compounds formed through complex chemical processes that occurred in the presence of brine within the asteroid.
According to the study authors, the meteorite's parent body may have originated beyond the orbit of Jupiter. The research was published in the journal Science Advances on July 15. The scientists emphasize that the discovery of amino acids does not constitute evidence of extraterrestrial life; such organic molecules can arise naturally without the involvement of living organisms.