New Jersey, United States

A meteorite is believed to have struck the roof of a house in Hopewell Township, New Jersey, authorities said on Monday. According to officials, the metallic object suddenly crashed through the roof of the house and ricocheted around the house's bedroom. 

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No member of the family was present in the bedroom when the incident took place and hence, no one suffered injuries, according to the report. 

Police are investigating to determine the object's precise nature, although officials suspect that the object is related to the current meteor shower, which is called the Eta Aquariids, as per the statement issued by Hopewell Township Police Department in New Jersey.

The Eta Aquariids meteor shower is a phenomenon that occurs annually in which debris belonging to the famous Halley’s Comet rains down into the atmosphere of the Earth. 

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According to the predictions of the Meteor Society, the celestial event was expected to peak on Saturday, though it is likely to last till May 27.

“I did touch the thing because I just thought it was a random rock,” said Suzy Kop, a member of the house on which the rock fell. Speaking to CNN affiliate KYW-TV in Philadelphia, she added that the rock fell on the roof of the bedroom that belonged to her father. 

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“And it was warm. I just thank God that my father was not here. No one was here. You know, we weren’t hurt or anything," she added.

The outer covering of meteorites can reach scorching temperatures because of the object's high pressure and friction as it falls into the thick atmosphere at high speed, although they generally cool down before reaching the ground. 

The police authorities in New Jersey stated that the possible meteorite which struck the roof on Monday was about four inches by six inches in size.

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“It penetrated the roof, the ceiling and then impacted the hardwood floor before coming to a rest,” police stated.

The police department “has contacted several other agencies for assistance in positively identifying the object and safeguarding the residents and the object."

Space rocks keep falling all the time, evenly distributed across the surface of the Earth. 

However, the rocks striking a populated area are rare because the majority of the planet is covered by undeveloped areas or oceans. 

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