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Meteorite that ripped through Georgia homeowner's roof is 20 million years older than Earth, scientist says
HENRY COUNTY, GEORGIA, AUG 11 – The McDonough Meteorite, older by 20 million years than Earth, is the 27th recovered in Georgia and offers insights into early solar system history, researchers say.
- On June 26, 2025, a meteorite crashed into the roof of a home in Henry County, Georgia, drawing the attention of observers across several Southern states.
- The meteorite's fiery fall happened because it entered Earth's atmosphere at about 30,000 mph and broke apart a few miles above the ground under intense stress.
- Scott Harris, a planetary scientist at the University of Georgia, analyzed 23 grams of the meteorite fragments and identified their origin as part of an asteroid family formed from a massive breakup event that occurred approximately 470 million years ago.
- Harris determined that the meteorite is approximately 4.56 billion years old, making it about 20 million years older than Earth, and explained that it originates from a collection of asteroids located in the main belt orbiting between Mars and Jupiter.
- Researchers intend to present their analysis and propose the name McDonough Meteorite to the Meteoritical Society, while additional fragments will be exhibited at the Tellus Science Museum.
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77 Articles
Atlanta Home Struck by Meteorite Older Than Earth, Study Finds
A piece of space rock that crashed into a home in Atlanta, Georgia, had been zooming around in space for longer than Earth has existed, a recent analysis has found. The newly named McDonough Meteorite that punched through Earth's atmosphere on 26 June 2025 formed around 4.56 billion years ago, according to planetary geologist Scott Harris of the University of Georgia. Our home planet, for context, is thought to be around 4.5 billion years old – …
Meteorite that tore through southeastern US skies this summer determined to be older than Earth itself, researchers say
A meteorite that tore through the sky in June shaking the Southeast with a sonic boom is now believed to be 4.56 billion years old, according to researchers who studied it following its crash landing.
A space rock pierced the roof of a family home in the US.
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