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Meteorite Crashes Through New Zealand Roof

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the wear-a-hat dept.

freitasm writes "The New Zealand Herald and Stuff are reporting on a 1.3kg, four billion-year-old rock that fell through the roof of a house in suburban Auckland, New Zealand. Their insurance company will pay for the hole in the roof and couch and two holes in the ceiling. The meteorite itself, a chunk of an asteroid, could have been basketball-sized when it impacted Earth's atmosphere at 15km a second. By the time it hit the house, its velocity had probably slowed to 100-200m a second."

15 of 345 comments (clear)

  1. rawr by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Now thats what I call a smashing entry!

    1. Re:rawr by daveashcroft · · Score: 5, Funny

      Finally we know what happened to beagle.....

  2. Why was this posted? by dotslashconfig · · Score: 5, Funny

    Oh, that's right... this is the biggest news in New Zealand since the Lord of the Rings crew packed up and left.

    1. Re:Why was this posted? by operagost · · Score: 5, Funny

      It's big news because the insurance company actually paid for the damage!

      --

      Gamingmuseum.com: Give your 3D accelerator a rest.
  3. Um, ouch. by Talonius · · Score: 5, Funny

    I bet their insurance company cancels them after they pay for all the repairs, too. :) It was preventable, if New Zealand had invested more heavily in SWMDT (Star Wars Meterorite Defense Technology). Of course with the license fees the Reagan administration was charging...

    That would truly suck. To be sitting there watching "When Meteorites Attack, True Stories of Meteorites and Their Victims" and WHAM, there's a smoking hole in your television set, sparks flying everywhere, and the father figure of the family is screaming for his teenage son, wondering if he had been busy building nuclear reactors again.

    --
    My reality check bounced.
    1. Re:Um, ouch. by Ixany · · Score: 5, Funny

      Gosh no. Just think about the probability of this happening twice to that same house. Although statistically, it isn't any smaller than the probability of a meteorite hitting it the first time, one mustn't spoil the obligatory Garp reference:

      "Honey, the chances of another plane hitting this house are astronomical. See? It's been pre-disastered. We're going to be safe here."

      Great stuff, that.

  4. why claim the insurance? by drg55 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Meteorites are quite pricey, just put it on ebay.
    Put the house on ebay too.

    1. Re:why claim the insurance? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      It must be one of the safest houses in the world - what are the odds of it being hit by two meteorites?

    2. Re:why claim the insurance? by sonicattack · · Score: 5, Funny

      Reminds me of the story about the statistician who calculated the odds of there being a bomb on the airplane he was travelling on, and found out that the odds were too high for him to feel safe. He then calculated the odds of there being two, independent bombs on the same plane, and noticed that the possibility was remote to the extreme, compared to the first calculation.

      So, now, he always brings a bomb with him when he's flying.

    3. Re:why claim the insurance? by quantaman · · Score: 5, Funny

      As another reader pointed out, the odds of it being hit by a second meteorite, is exactly the same is it being hit by the first... which is slim, but another meteor isn't going to avoid the house next time because a meteor crashed there beforehand.

      As another reader pointed out, the odds of you getting the first joke, is exactly the same as you being hit by a meteor... which is slim, but this joke isn't going to avoid you next time because you ruined the first joke before hand.

      (seriously I would hope that the /. crowd doesn't need the Gambler's fallacy explained to it :)

      --
      I stole this Sig
  5. I'm pretty surprised by the loss in speed. by James+A.+S.+Joyce · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I know that the Earth's atmosphere is approximately 100 kilometres in thickness, but the idea of an object dissipating so much kinetic energy as heat is still amazing. Nonetheless, at that speed it's going at about the same speed as a bullet from a gun so I guess it's a good thing no one was there. Luckily, though, since kinetic energy is proportional to the square of velocity, it's a good thing it lost all but literally 0.2% of its speed.

  6. "What we've got here is..." by Elroy+Jetson · · Score: 5, Funny

    "What we've got here is what we call a "Boeing Bomb". See the peanut? Dead giveaway."

    "Nuh-uh... thats a 'Space Peanut.'"

  7. War! by Trailwalker · · Score: 5, Funny

    In a response to the attack on New Zealand, President Bush announced today that United States Army and Marine units would be stationed on Mars and other planets as a deterrent to further terrorism by unknown aliens. He will send a request for a further $900,000,000,000 to congress to fund the development of transport and supply systems for our brave patriotic troops. Haliburtion corp. has patriotically volunteered to undertake the conract for a mere 25% markup.

    Attorney General John Ashcroft declared that the aliens have obvious ties with Al Queda. Only alien mind control could have changed the joyous happy reception that should have been give to US liberators by the oppressed Arab world. He will ask Congress to amend the Patriot act to allow preventive detention of the entire population of the United States and 24 hour observation of everyone else.

    Affable non-entity and Homeland Security fill-in Tom Ridge announced newer, more vibrant colors for ever more heightened security levels. He is asking Congress to redefine illegal alien to include beings from other planets/solar systems.

  8. I disagree. by duffel · · Score: 5, Insightful
    MOD PARENT DOWN, repost information
    The parent is a known troll saving up karma for posting gnaa shit in some story to come.
    Actually, kunundo (parent), I'm quite offended by your remark.

    First off, you attack the person rather than their statement. This is called an Argumentum ad hominum. It's a logical fallacy and carries no weight. Personally, I think James (parent's parent) raises quite a good point. The loss in energy is quite impressive.

    *scribbles on back of envelope*
    The heat it deposited in the atmosphere is enough to vaporize more than 200 liters of water previously at room temperature. (In a really really rough calculation). For what's essentially a piece of rock, I thought that's quite cool.

    So, to me, the comment was interesting. So, whatever the motives, the comment is a good one and should be rewarded as such

    Also, moderators have mod points for a reason: They're good active members of the slashdot community. Don't tell them what to do, let them make up their own mind. That's what they're there for.
  9. Re:Fortunately we're safe in the USA by 1hurcoman · · Score: 5, Funny

    I think you got that wrong. Volume is measured in Volkswagons. Distance is measured in football fields. Weights are measured in bowling balls. Speed can be measured in NASCAR or something.