What would you do if a meteorite fell on your house? A family in the United States has been thinking about it since a few weeks ago one of these space rocks went through their roof and fell into their bedroom. What a surprise they got! Now the surprise could be even bigger, since they have in their hand the opportunity to choose between three options on what to do with it.
Science is mysterious and always has something to surprise with. That a meteorite whose formation seems to date back more than 4.5 billion years has fallen on the home of an American family sounds like a typical Hollywood movie plot. We always think that the cinema sells us that “those things only happen there” and, in this case, the cliché has been fulfilled. Now they think about the way in which they could give the best possible ending to this particular event.
The Titusville, NJ meteorite
This is the name of the rock in question, as it is an object whose first analyses, approved by the family that owns the meteorite, have revealed interesting data. In addition to its age, it is known that the weight of the rock is around 1 kg and that its composition is stony chondrite. The specialists who have had the opportunity to analyze the meteorite also indicate that possibly the original origin of the rock is found in the belt between Jupiter and Mars. With all this in mind, how do you decide what to do with such an attractive and valuable object?
When the meteorite, which you can see in the photo released by the Hopewell Police, fell on the house, one of the owner’s daughters was the one who found it. She imagines the situation and thinks of all the movie ideas that surely came to Suzy Kop’s head, since it cannot be ignored that this is how many science fiction stories begin. She approached the rock and decided to touch it. She did not cause any kind of effect on her, but she did notice that the surface of the meteorite was hot. However, she initially thought that it was a rock from the outside of the house that had somehow made its way inside. How could they think it was a meteorite?
To avoid problems, he called the police and they contacted the team of specialists who confirmed that it was a meteorite. At that time, however, the stone only showed 30% of its surface, since the rest was covered in the remains of the material that is produced when the object enters the atmosphere. Once analyzed is when its great academic value has been discovered and how important it could be in the study of the formation of the solar system.
What to do with it?
In just a few weeks the family has been met with much more media attention than they have ever had. Suddenly all the eyes of the scientific sector have been on them, since there are a large number of professionals interested in knowing what the fate of the rock will be. And the pressure seems to be enormous.
Several of the meteorite experts who have had the opportunity to analyze the rock mention that, for them, the best solution would be to take it to a much more advanced laboratory that would allow it to be studied in depth. They also talk about what a good donation would look like to the American Museum of Natural History, whose collection has all kinds of valuable pieces. These experts have spoken to the press and mentioned that it seems to them that the family is interested in taking the path of science. However, other statements suggest that they are not as close to making a donation as it might seem to specialists.
In addition to donating it to science, another option that the family would be considering is keeping it. It could become a family heirloom passed down from generation to generation. It fell into his father’s house, but his two daughters may agree with him in what he decides. If it became a family heirloom, it could have a prime shelf space in the living room and would make a fantastic story to tell visitors. After all, it is not every day that a meteorite falls on your home that comes from other planets and that was formed at a totally unattainable moment in history.
The third and last of the options that the family has is to do business. It is logical. From what is said in the press, they have already received offers from private collectors with which they could earn large amounts of money. The lowest bids have been set at $10,000 and, so far, they have already received proposals for even double that, amounts that could grow if the popularity of the meteorite increases. What do you think they will finally decide?
