Fiery Meteorite That Smashed Into A Home Is Believed To Be Older Than Earth

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What began as a flash in the night sky and a dramatic crash in a suburban backyard has culminated in a scientific first for Georgia. A meteorite, which streaked through the sky as a brilliant fireball before landing squarely on a Henry County resident's property, has been officially named after its landing site and, perhaps more crucially, been determined to be older than Earth itself.

Late June last year, the now-famous fireball, or bolide, streaked across the daytime sky, captivating onlookers across the Southeast. For one resident in Henry County, the spectacle ended with a jarring crash. A small fragment of that meteorite pierced their roof, and caused a decent dent in the floor. Thankfully no one was injured from the event.

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Planetary geologist Scott Harris of University of Georgia's Department of Geology was called in to analyze the fragments. What he and his team discovered was nothing short of surprising. Analysis of the meteorite's fragments revealed it to be a Low Metal (L) ordinary chondrite, a classification that points to an extremely old origin. Harris determined that the meteorite is an estimated 4.56 billion years old, making it roughly 20 million years older than Earth itself.

Harris believes that the rock originated from the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter and can be traced to the breakup of a much larger asteroid about 470 million years ago. 

The McDonough Meteorite (as it's now called, from the ZIP code the pieces was found in) is a rare find, not only for its age but also because its fall was witnessed. It is only the sixth witnessed meteorite fall in Georgia’s history and the 27th to be recovered in the state. Moreso, chondrites are extra special as they're considered some of the most primitive materials in the solar system, as well as for being unaltered by melting or differentiation.

The research team at UGA, in collaboration with colleagues at Arizona State University, is now working to submit their findings to the Nomenclature Committee of the Meteoritical Society for official documentation. Fragments of the meteorite will be preserved and a portion is expected to be put on public display at the Tellus Science Museum in Cartersville. The study of such events, according to Harris, is crucial for things like planetary defense, as it helps us better understand risks and threats of larger and more dangerous asteroids.

Photo credits: University of Georgia