Meteorite older than Earth smashes house roof in Georgia; scientists trace rock to asteroid belt - video
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 descent
Eyewitnesses 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:
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.
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 descent
Eyewitnesses 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.
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