A meteorite crash-landed in Georgia has turned heads in the scientific community! On June 26, an object shot through the daytime sky and exploded over the state, later identified as a meteorite. Scientists from the University of Georgia examined a fragment that pierced a McDonough home, revealing it formed over 4.56 billion years ago—about 20 million years older than Earth!
Residents across the Southeastern USA reported sightings and a loud boom as the fireball appeared overhead. Despite losing size and speed, the rock was still zooming at 1 km/second when it entered the roof of a house.
The meteorite, now dubbed the McDonough meteorite, is a chondrite—the most common type of stony meteorite. Geologist Scott Harris highlighted its lengthy journey through space before landing. The homeowner is still discovering tiny shards of space dust around his residence.
Harris is eager to publish findings on the meteorite’s composition, emphasizing the urgency for planetary defense against larger asteroids that could pose potential threats to Earth in the future. Interestingly, this marks the 27th meteorite recovery in Georgia, indicating a rising trend of such events, making scientists optimistic for future discoveries!
