Ancient Meteorite That Crashed in Georgia Found to Be 4.56 Billion Years Old

A meteorite that streaked across the sky over the southeastern United States in June, producing a powerful sonic boom and shaking homes in its path, has now been identified as one of the oldest known objects in the solar system. Researchers at the University of Georgia have confirmed that the McDonough Meteorite, which crashed through the roof of a home in McDonough, Georgia, is approximately 4.56 billion years old—older than Earth itself by about 20 million years.

The meteorite, which weighed about 50 grams in total, was collected by local residents and donated to scientists for analysis. The University of Georgia received 23 grams of the rock, which is now being studied to determine its classification and origin. Scott Harris, a researcher at UGA, used advanced optical and electron microscopy to classify the meteorite as a Low Metal (L) ordinary chondrite, a type of stony meteorite that is relatively common but still extremely valuable for scientific study.

According to Harris, the meteorite originates from a group of asteroids in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. This group is believed to have once been part of a much larger asteroid that broke apart approximately 470 million years ago. Some of these fragments eventually entered Earth-crossing orbits, meaning they have the potential to strike our planet over time.

Harris and his team are working with researchers from Arizona State University to submit the meteorite's name and findings to the Nomenclature Committee of the Meteoritical Society. Additionally, Harris plans to publish a scientific paper that will explore the potential threats posed by such meteorites and their historical impact on Earth.

The meteorite's arrival on Earth was marked by a rare daytime fireball on June 26, during the Bootids meteor shower. A resident of Henry County, Georgia, reported that a rock fell through their ceiling at the same time as the fireball was visible in the sky. The object had pierced through the roof and ceiling before cracking the flooring inside the home. The resident later told Harris that he was still finding tiny specks of space dust in his living room from the event.

Daytime fireballs are exceptionally rare, as they must be significantly brighter than typical meteors to be visible during the day. Fireballs are defined as meteors that reach a magnitude of -4 or brighter, which is brighter than the planet Venus. The June fireball, however, was estimated to have reached a magnitude of around -14—brighter than a full moon.

Brenda Eckard, a resident of Gilbert, South Carolina, recalled the event to CNN, describing it as a 'big flash in the sky come down and disappear.' She initially thought it was a meteor that 'almost looked like a firework.'

The McDonough Meteorite is currently being stored at the University of Georgia for further testing. Other pieces of the meteorite that fell on June 26 will be publicly displayed at the Tellus Science Museum in Cartersville, Georgia, offering the public a rare opportunity to see a piece of ancient space history up close.

This meteorite is now the 27th meteorite ever recovered in Georgia and the sixth witnessed fall—a testament to the rarity of such events and the importance of public involvement in scientific discovery.