Meteorite crashes through roof of Auckland house

9.30am

A black lump that crashed into an Auckland family's living room yesterday was identified as only the ninth meteorite to be found in this country, television's One News reported.

The 1.3kg, four billion-year-old rock fell through the roof of the house in the suburb of Ellerslie about 9am.

"There was just a huge explosion and we looked around and there was just dust everywhere," householder Brenda Archer told the station.

"I don't know what to make of it, it's unbelievable. I'm just glad no one was sitting on the couch because they just would have got absolutely crowned."

Specialists were convinced the rock was a meteorite, but would not know where it had come from until it was fully examined, One News said.

Overseas dealers were expected to offer the Archers cash for the rock.

"Falling through a roof is really an exceptional event that rarely happens, and this is a beautiful large specimen," Joel Schiff of Auckland University said.

- NZPA