Whoa! That's a little scary!

Linda, Thank you for report on this!!! I will put you on my press contact list as there are often events in you area related to major meteors being witnessed.
The "crater trench" appears that it might be a gas pipeline failure? from the photo. I of course have no knowledge as to if there is a pipeline buried in their lawn. Thank you so much for your kind reply contact.
Best Always in LIFE, Dirk Ross....Tokyo LunarMeteorite*Hunter
The Latest Worldwide Meteor/Meteorite News
http://lunarmeteoritehunters.blogspot.com/

Linda, IF there is no gas line then a lightning strike on that day possible? I also not that the asphalt seems to have a fresh crack showing in the photograph. Are there more photographs? IF it was a meteorite it would have been in the impact pit or nearby. Size of it perhaps the size of canteloupe melon. IF??? it was a meteorite and is not there it was TAKEN! It did NOT disintegrate. Please keep me informed. Thank you so much. IF you post any of my info please cited my website. Best Always. Dirk Ross...Tokyo
LunarMeteorite*Hunter
I am a researcher of meteors, meteorites and meteorite impacts living in Tokyo, Japan.

It looks to me like someone rolled that big rock out of a airplane. Best Regards Rick.

I suspect a blue ice leak from an airplane. Makes sense that the evidence disintegrated / evaporated. If it was a meteorite can you use a metal detector to pick up a signal of the debris?

If it was a iron meteorite it could be still be under a few feet of dirt. You would need a very good metal detector to reach down that far. I wonder if that house is for sale ?

With all sincere due respect to the town officials -- do they have any expertise to guess that it's a meteorite?? It sounds like people are quick to jump to a conclusion without any evidence or education in this particular area. Needs more research before the conclusion is understood.

I would highly doubt that this was caused by a meteorite. Amazed that our elected officials would come to that conclusion so quickly. perhaps it was a sloppy landscaper or sprinkler contractor? were there tire marks or footprints around the hole? There was no mention of verizon, cablevision or the water company. They all potentially have utilities underground as well. Or maybe it was just a prank by some local teens.

I am the owner of the house. The grounds were investigated by the following: Fire Department, Police, Detectives, Bomb Squad, PSE&G (gas), JCP&L (electric),the water company. and most recently several people from the local astrology and astronomy departments at the local college. They used surveying metal detectors and dug in the hole. The impact put pieces of the root up in the tree almost directly above the hole. There are broken branches in pine trees at approximately a 45 degree angle to the impact.
No sound was heard when all neighbors were interviewed. No Prank. No sloppy landscaper. No sloppy sprinkler contractor, we have none. Finally the house is not for sale. Hope this puts alot of your theories to rest.

LunarMeteorite*Hunter.
Sorry I missed your question about lightning. Beautiful day it was. No possible lightning. The cracks you see in the driveway were already there.

Dear Basking Ridge neighbor, Needless to say, many of us are interested in this! We heard two versions of the story - is it true that you were home at the time of the impact and heard nothing? Have any other experts (geologists) looked at the site and do they believe it was a meteorite? Please keep us posted if you find out something more!

Dear Linda, I was not home however, my son was and told the officers that he had heard nothing. At this point, no "experts" have looked at the site. There is someone coming on Saturday to view the area. The other gentlemen from the college do believe that it was very likely some form of meterorite.

Hi Basking Ridge neighbor! Kindly keep us posted on what you find out if someone with knowledge in this area visits the site on Saturday. And did someone from Raritan Valley Community College say they believed the hole was caused by a form of metorite?
On another note, this must be somewhat interesting for you and your family, even if it does look like the meterorite (?) did make some sort of mess. You must be glad that whatever it is didn't come any closer!

Hi Basking Ridge neighbor ! I am just a wanabe meteorite hunter for now, but just for some good fun , you might think about inviting Will Smith over to check it out, i hear he is in New York filming MIB3 ..... ! i hope you find a few pounds of lunar or martian rock, and dont give it all away, go for the highest bidder. Best Regards Rick.

looks like the nj.com got a hold of this story as well. seems folks are thinking it was something that fell from an airplane which I tend to believe. just look up...there seems to be a lot of air traffic over basking ridge. Perhaps too much air traffic.

ANNA commented: Please tell everyone that the mysterious hole in Basking Ridge may be a black bear digging (accounting for the spewn dirt going one way and the 45 degree angle). NJ black bears are looking for food this time of year and sometimes dig to eat ants, grubs, tubers and nuts from pine cone stashes that squirrels bury by pine trees. Black bears can make a mess when digging and are known to tear up turf. A hole this size is nothing for a black bear. Black bears have been seen in Basking Ridge in the daytime. And, people inside houses there probably wouldn't have heard an animal digging. The bear probably walked forward when done not leaving many tracks, which perhaps no one thought to look for, yet. A bear could have broken some tree branches, too, as well as damage the trees in other ways. They've had all sorts of NJ public workers out to the site... how about consulting the Department of Wildlife Management, as well? - Anna

Anna, I don't necessarily agree. The hole is too large for a bear foraging for food and is in a very random spot (not near anything that would have food aside from trash bins which the bear would've overturned and moved on). Also, the 45 degree angle doesn't account for the sheer span of debris in both up, down and sideways directions. Black bears aren't diggers like beavers or squirrels, so if they were digging, it would be a smaller hole in an area that had an indication of food, rather than the side of a driveway. It's unlikely the bear would've broken down tree branches without reason, as well. Black bears are generally just looking for food and spook easily. This is most likely a meteorite, something that landed with force and caused a small explosion. Like throwing a tennis ball at a sandpit.