Ancient Meteorite Older Than Earth Crashes Through Georgia Roof

A meteorite that struck a home near Atlanta, Georgia, on June 26th predates Earth itself, forming 4.56 billion years ago, according to initial analyses by University of Georgia researchers. NASA estimates the space rock measured one meter wide and traveled at 47,000 kilometers per hour before surviving atmospheric entry in broad daylight. Its descent generated a bright fireball visible across the southeastern United States, prompting over 240 reports to the American Meteor Society, accompanied by a sonic boom heard by many residents of McDonough. After impacting the home’s roof, the meteorite fragmented; one piece even dented the interior floor. Analysis of 23 grams from the 50 grams recovered, using optical and electron microscopy, indicates it is likely a low-metal ordinary chondrite. This classification confirms its ancient origin in an oxygen-rich environment. “It belongs to a group of asteroids in the main belt between Mars and Jupiter that we now believe originated from the breakup of a much larger asteroid roughly 470 million years ago,” stated UGA geologist Scott Harris.