A meteorite that recently crashed through the roof of a U.S. home has been found to be older than Earth itself, according to scientists.
NASA confirmed the object blazed across the Georgia sky in broad daylight on June 26 before exploding.
A fragment from the meteorite struck a house in McDonough, where researchers from the University of Georgia later conducted an analysis.
According to CBS, their examination revealed the meteorite likely formed around 4.56 billion years ago — approximately 20 million years before Earth came into existence.
The dramatic event was witnessed by hundreds across Georgia and neighboring states, many of whom reported a bright fireball and a loud sonic boom.
Massive Fireball Spotted Streaking Across Southeastern U.S. Skies (VIDEO)
Though the meteorite slowed and shrank during its descent, it was still moving at over 1 km per second when it smashed through the Henry County home’s roof.
Scientists received multiple fragments from the impact site for study.
“This particular meteor that entered the atmosphere has a long history before it made it to the ground of McDonough,” said Scott Harris, a University of Georgia geologist.
#BREAKING: A geologist says a meteorite fragment that smashed through a man’s roof in Henry County, Georgia, is actually older than Earth itself. pic.twitter.com/KVxETJ3Mop
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) August 9, 2025
Using optical and electron microscopy, Harris’s team determined the object to be a chondrite — the most common type of stony meteorite, which NASA notes typically dates back 4.56 billion years.
The homeowner says small traces of space dust are still turning up around the property. The McDonough meteorite is now the 27th to be documented in Georgia.
“This is something that used to be expected once every few decades and not multiple times within 20 years,” Harris explained
“Modern technology, in addition to an attentive public, is going to help us recover more and more meteorites.”
Harris plans to publish detailed findings on the meteorite’s composition and velocity, research he says will improve understanding of potential asteroid threats.
“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. If we can guard against that, we want to,” he said.
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