A week after Israel played host to the amazing burning ‘meteorite’, another report is coming in about a ‘meteorite’ strike in East Jakarta, Indonesia. (Note the use of the famous ‘skeptical quotes’.)
On Thursday, a falling object crashed through the roof of a house causing moderate damage. There was also light damage to two adjoining properties. Fortunately, there are no reported injuries.
According to a report in the Jakarta Globe, there was a “blast” that resulted from the impact and there was a deep crater in the floor of the house. After creating the impact crater in the floor, the ‘falling object’ bounced.
“I suspect the object impacted at high velocity, hit the floor, bounced back and hit the ceiling, then fell back down,” said a researcher from the Indonesian National Aeronautics and Space Agency (Lapan). “It’s extremely difficult to recover the fragments, what with the rubble and broken glass, and it being so dark in here.”
The article also states that there was evidence for a residual heat footprint and melted items around the crater. Apparently, these facts all point to evidence that a meteorite, or some man-made space junk, was involved.
Although the details are sketchy, there are a few points that concern me about this meteorite report:
First, if this ‘meteorite’ was large enough to create a “deep” crater (there’s no information about the crater’s approximate size), that would suggest it was a hyper-velocity impact. Not only is this kind of impact very rare, I doubt there would be anything left of the building.
Unless “moderate damage” means “there is no house left,” I strongly doubt the crater was caused by a meteorite.
Secondly, according to the Lapan scientist, the space rock “bounced.” While this is possible — take the Virginia meteorite that crashed through the roof of a doctors office, bouncing off the floor of an examination room, for example — if its impact was energetic enough to excavate a sizable crater (and produce a “blast”), then I doubt much of the meteorite would be left to “bounce.” It would have disintegrated, got lodged deep in the bottom of the crater, or not produced a crater at all.
Thirdly, the article states: “the residual heat footprint and melted items pointed to a meteorite.” As I’ve said before, meteorites are usually cold when they make landfall (assuming they are small enough to be slowed by our atmosphere), so this residual heat did not come from the meteorite. If the meteorite was large enough to slam into the house at hyper-velocity speeds, or hit a gas canister, then perhaps there might be some “residual heat.” But in this case, I strongly doubt there would be any house left.
Fourthly, according to Evan Irawan Akbar, from the Bosscha Observatory in Lembang, this event has occurred shortly after the Lyrid meteor shower which ended on Monday. So he rules out any connection. Which is fortunate, as this meteor shower is caused by the Earth passing through a harmless dust tail created by the periodic Comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher.
But then he drops this clanger: “It could, however, be part of the Eta Aquariid meteor shower, which peaks on May 7 and 8.”
The Eta Aquariid meteor shower is caused by dust trail from Halley’s Comet… last time I checked, dust grains from comets have never been linked with house-killing chunks of rock. Comets are made from ice and dust, stuff that easily burns up when hitting our atmosphere. These are meteor showers, not meteorite showers.
The extent of the damaged caused is also a little strange. From the article: “It blasted a hole in the second floor of the house, sending furniture falling to the first floor, and tore big holes in the walls.” Doesn’t that sound like an explosion?
Apparently the police have ruled out speculation that this was a gas canister explosion and although there is “no conclusive proof the damage was caused by a meteorite, it was the most likely explanation.”
Alas, meteorite impacts aren’t likely explanations, terrestrial explanations are the most “likely.” The fact that an Indonesian counter-terrorism squad has been dispatched to the area to look for traces of explosives suggest the authorities aren’t placing all their bets on this being a meteorite impact either.
Thanks to @antonwilliam for the tip!
Source: Jakarta Globe
astroengine.com 
There should be a deep investigation that has to be done to clear things up and to resolve any speculation about it being a meteorite or just merely a planned explosion. If authorities are doubting it as meteorites then, most probably it is really not one.-Contributor: Pregnancy Miracle Thoughts
It's perfectly possible that this was a real meteorite, why not?First: Maybe it wasn't the meteorite itself that bounced, but a chunk of the floor. Second: The researcher said he “suspected” the meteorite bounced.Third: Perhaps the account of a deep crater being left on the house's floor is a bit of a colorful addition made by the Globe's article writer.Let's wait for the analysis
wouldn't there be fire if it's meteorite?
I'm even a bit afraid to travel to Indonesia…
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si eu la matiz mai luasem de la mama vreo..
meteorites of different compositions and sizes have different strike signatures. Some are stainless steel and will bounce off…or through a car still intact and land a short distance away, others will pierce the earth, like a rock thrown hard into mud, and others will disintegrate before an impact, throwing down nothing but sparks who’s small pieces will have no more velocity than a penny falling from a tall building. As they burn up and become smaller they lose their energy and speed to become ordinary falling objects with little destructive force. Size, composition and what they impact with all effect the outcome immensely.