Mercer Meteorite Has No Monetary Value, But Vital To Science: Expert
MERCER COUNTY, NJ – It’s been a little more than three weeks since a meteorite fell through the roof of a home in Mercer County. And Patch has continued to receive queries from readers who are interested in this phenomenon.
We contacted Professor Juliane Gross from Rutgers University to answer some questions.
Gross is an Associate Professor at the University’s Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences. Her research focuses on investigating the formation and evolution of differentiated planetary bodies and her interests include studying rock types, their chemical and physical condition and the effect of micrometeorite bombardment.
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A little background on the meteorite:
On May 8, an object struck a ranch-style home on Old Washington Crossing Pennington Road in Hopewell. The meteorite, which is approximately 4″x 6″ and oblong in shape hit the roof, the ceiling and then fell on the hardwood floor. Although the home was occupied at the time, no injuries were reported, police said. More: Possible Meteorite Strikes Mercer County Home: Police
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Experts from The College of New Jersey confirmed that the age of the chondrite meteorite is around 4.56 billion years. More: Confirmed: It Was 4 Billion-Year-Old Meteorite That Hit Mercer Home
The meteorite was handed back to the family after experts concluded tests. We asked Prof. Gross a few questions about the meteorite, including its monetary value. Here’s the Q&A:
What can meteorites tell us about the solar system?
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What’s the importance/value of these space objects in science?
The family that found the Hopewell meteorite said it was hot when it crashed through the roof. What does that mean?
The meteorite that fell in Hopewell has been identified as a chrondrite meteorite. How rare are these and what’s the most interesting bit about this kind of meteorite?
Physicists from the College of New Jersey said meteorites rarely fall in a populated area. How rare is this phenomenon?
One question we get often from readers is – what’s the monetary value of this meteorite?
The family that owns it – what options do they have? What can they do with the meteorite?
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