Fiery meteor that punched by means of Georgia dwelling’s roof is older than Earth: Scientist

ATHENS, Ga. — A meteorite that punched a hole i n a Georgia house owner’s roof after blazing throughout the sky in a fiery streak is older than the Earth itself, in keeping with scientist who examined fragments of the house rock.

People in a number of Southern states reported seeing the mysterious fireball in broad daylight on June 26 because it hurtled towards the bottom quicker than the pace of sound.

University of Georgia planetary geologist Scott Harris mentioned in a press launch Friday that he examined 23 grams (0.8 ounces) of meteorite fragments recovered from a bit the scale of a cherry tomato that struck a person’s roof like a bullet and left a dent within the ground of the house outdoors Atlanta.

Examining the fragments below microscopes, Harris concluded the meteorite shaped 4.56 billion years in the past. That is roughly 20 million years older than the Earth.

“It belongs to a group of asteroids in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter that we now think we can tie to a breakup of a much larger asteroid about 470 million years ago,” Harris said.

Harris mentioned University of Georgia scientists and colleagues at Arizona State University plan to submit their findings with Nomenclature Committee of the Meteoritical Society. They suggest naming the house rock the McDonough Meteorite, mirrored the title of the Georgia metropolis the place it plunged to Earth.