A meteorite that slammed into a Georgia home in June has been confirmed as a rare and ancient relic—older than the Earth, scientists say.
On June 26, a bright fireball was seen streaking across the sky before breaking apart and landing in McDonough, Georgia. The fiery spectacle was followed by a loud boom, with reports coming in from across the state and neighboring regions. NASA later confirmed it was a meteor event.
Scientists at the University of Georgia analyzed fragments of the rock that hit the house and identified it as a chondrite—a common type of stony meteorite. Using advanced microscopy, the team dated it to about 4.56 billion years old, making it roughly 20 million years older than Earth.
“This meteorite comes from a group of asteroids in the main belt between Mars and Jupiter,” said University of Georgia geologist Scott Harris. “We believe it’s linked to the breakup of a larger asteroid about 470 million years ago. Over time, fragments like this can drift into Earth-crossing orbits and eventually collide with our planet.”
Dubbed the “McDonough meteorite,” it’s the 27th meteorite recorded in Georgia. According to the BBC, it was traveling at about 2,237 miles per hour when it struck—piercing the roof, crashing through the ceiling, and cracking the floor.
The homeowner, who was just 14 feet from the impact site, said he’s still discovering fragments days after the incident. Harris noted the rock hit with such force that part of it was pulverized into dust. He plans to publish his research on its composition and trajectory to help improve asteroid threat detection.