A meteorite fragment that tore through the roof of a Georgia home last June has been found to be older than Earth itself, according to scientists at the University of Georgia.Geologist Scott Harris told Fox News Digital that the rock, which fell on June 26 near Atlanta, originated from the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Analysis shows it formed 4.56 billion years ago — slightly before the birth of the Earth, estimated at 4.54 billion years.A fiery descentEyewitnesses reported seeing a bright fireball streak across the sky that day. Harris was quickly called to investigate the home, where he traced the meteorite’s dramatic path:
- A clean hole through the roof and an air duct
- Penetration through insulation and the ceiling
- Impact with the floor, leaving a crater the size of a large cherry tomato
The fragment hit with such force that part of it was pulverised “like somebody hitting it with a sledgehammer,” Harris said. The rock briefly broke the sound barrier before impact.No danger this time — but a reminder for the futureWhile the small size of the meteorite posed no threat to the homeowners, Harris said studying such falls is crucial for planetary defence. Understanding how meteorites travel through space and into Earth’s atmosphere could help scientists predict — and prevent — catastrophic impacts.He pointed to Nasa’s DART mission as an example of potential defence, where a spacecraft successfully altered the path of an asteroid through kinetic impact.“If you move an asteroid early enough, you can get it to avoid us altogether,” Harris said.
