AssetID: 54995576
Headline: Meteorite That Crash Landed Through Georgia Man's Roof Is 20 Million Years Older Than Earth, Scientists Say
Caption: WORDS BYLINE: Hayley Chamberlain A cherry tomato-sized fireball that crashed through the roof of a family home in Atlanta has been confirmed as a meteorite older than Earth itself. The astonishing discovery was made after the rock came cashing into a house in McDonough, Georgia, in June – leaving a gaping hole in the roof and a dent in the floor. University of Georgia planetary geologist Scott Harris has revealed the meteorite was formed an incredible 4.56 billion years ago – around 20 million years before our planet even existed. “This particular meteor that entered the atmosphere has a long history before it made it to the ground of McDonough,” Harris said. The scientist explained the space rock originated from the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter and could be traced back to the violent breakup of a huge asteroid nearly 470 million years ago. Fragments weighing just 23 grams were examined under powerful microscopes, and Harris confirmed it was one of only 27 meteorites ever recovered in Georgia since the state was founded in 1788. Only six of those were seen falling. The homeowner has even reported finding tiny specks of space dust around the living room long after the dramatic impact. Harris and his team – working alongside Arizona State University – now plan to officially name the specimen the “McDonough Meteorite” in recognition of the remarkable strike. “This is something that used to be expected once every few decades and not multiple times,” Harris said. “Modern technology in addition to an attentive public is going to help us recover more and more meteorites.” But there is also a serious warning. Harris stressed that studying these rocks is vital for understanding the danger posed by much larger asteroids. “One day there will be an opportunity, and we never know when it’s going to be, for something large to hit and create a catastrophic situation,” he warned. “If we can guard against that, we want to.” The McDonough meteorite hurtled to Earth at around 12.30pm, producing a deafening boom that rattled homes across Atlanta. The fiery streak was spotted as far away as North and South Carolina, with videos quickly spreading online. At first, even the US National Weather Service was baffled – mistaking the fireball for lightning on its global monitoring system. But Henry County emergency management director Ryan Morrison said suspicions grew when it was clear the object had smashed through a family’s roof, pierced the laminate flooring and cracked into the concrete beneath. The homeowner has chosen to remain anonymous.
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