News Space

The 2024 New York City meteorite contains amino acids

The space rock holds clues to the origin of Earth’s oceans and organics

Close-up of a rock in varying shades of grey

Close examination of the meteorite found that it is enriched in sodium and contains a variety of organic molecules.

SETI Institute

By Lisa Grossman

A meteorite that streaked over New York City and crashed into a New Jersey rooftop came from an asteroid that once had briny water beneath its surface. The rock may have a similar composition to those that brought water and organic materials to early Earth, researchers report July 15 in Science Advances.