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Meteorite Crashes Into New Zealand Home 13.06.04 (BBCNews24) close X Meteorite Crashes Into New Zealand Home SOURCE: bbc.co.uk/news Sunday June 13, 2004 A grapefruit-sized meteorite has crashed through the roof of a house in Auckland, New Zealand. The rock hit a sofa and then bounced back up to the ceiling, before coming to rest under a computer. "There was just a huge explosion and we looked around and there was just dust everywhere," home-owner Brenda Archer told New Zealand television. The meteorite was probably travelling at about 500 km/h (300 mph) when it hit the house, experts say. "I'm just glad no one was sitting on the couch because they would have got absolutely crowned," Mrs Archer said. A beauty When the meteorite entered the atmosphere, it is estimated to have been the size of a basketball, travelling at about 50,000 km/h (30,000 mph). Collectors worldwide are expected to offer the Archers cash for the 1.3-kg (3lb) rock. Meteorite expert Joel Schiff from Auckland University said it could be worth more than US$5,000. "Falling through a roof is really an exceptional event and this is a beautiful, large specimen," he said. The overwhelming majority of meteorites entering the atmosphere burn up before reaching the Earth. The chances a house being hit by a space rock have been measured in the billions-to-one - although two such incidents were reported last September - in New Orleans in the US and in India's Orissa state.

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