Scientists have recently revealed that a meteorite that flew through the skies and crashed into a home in the United States in broad daylight on June 26 is older than planet Earth.
According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa), the space rock exploded across the state of Georgia as soon as it crashed into the home in McDonough.
Researchers at the University of Georgia examined a fragment of the rock and based on the type of meteorite, they determined it is expected to have formed 4.56 billion years ago, making it approximately 20 million years older than Earth, the BBC reported.
Hundreds of sightings were reported by residents in Georgia and neighbouring states, alongside a loud booming noise as the fireball tore through the skies.
The rock, which quickly diminished in size and speed, was still travelling at least one kilometre per second when it struck a man’s roof in Henry County.
Multiple fragments that hit the building were given to scientists, who analysed their origins.
“This particular meteor that entered the atmosphere has a long history before it made it to the ground of McDonough,” said Scott Harris, a geologist at the University of Georgia.
Using optical and electron microscopy, Harris and his team identified the rock as a chondrite, the most common type of stony meteorite, according to Nasa. This confirmed its age of around 4.56 billion years.
The resident of the home said he is still finding pieces of space dust from the impact. The object, now named the McDonough meteorite, is the 27th to be recovered from Georgia.
“This is something that used to be expected once every few decades and not multiple times within 20 years,” said Harris. “Modern technology, in addition to an attentive public, is going to help us recover more and more meteorites.”
Harris is hoping to publish his findings on the asteroid’s composition and speed, which he believes will help in understanding the threat of future 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. If we can guard against that, we want to,” he concluded.
