Ancient meteorite found in Georgia ages older than Earth

Geologists study a meteorite in Georgia to uncover its age and what it teaches about planetary defense.

Ancient Meteorite Reveals Deep History of Earth

A 1-ton meteor exploded over the Atlanta metro area on June 26, sending a cherry tomato sized fragment through a McDonough home roof. NASA’s All Sky Fireball Network tracked the fireball and estimated the blast at about 20 tons of TNT as the body broke apart roughly 27 miles above Wake Forest, Georgia. Sonic booms were reported along the flight path as the meteor traveled from northeast to southwest.

Geologists at the University of Georgia examined 23 grams of recovered fragments and dated the rock to more than 4.56 billion years old, about 20 million years older than Earth. They classify it as a low-metal ordinary chondrite from the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, suggesting it formed in a larger body that later broke apart around 470 million years ago. The find is the 27th meteorite recovered in Georgia and the sixth documented fall. The researchers will publish a paper detailing its composition, speed, and dynamics, hoping the data will improve models of future asteroid impacts and the planetary defense effort.

This discovery shows how modern science connects a roadside surprise to deep time. It also demonstrates the value of public engagement in science, as a home roof becomes part of a wider dataset about the solar system. The meteorite helps calibrate our understanding of how small rocks travel through space and Earth’s atmosphere. It underscores that even modest events can offer clues about larger threats and how to prepare for them.

Beyond the science, the case highlights how ready the public and institutions like the University of Georgia are to respond. Each recovered fragment adds to a growing archive that could improve warning times and impact modeling. In a time of growing space awareness, such finds reinforce the idea that exploration starts with curiosity from communities and grows into shared knowledge that weighs the future risk of bigger rocks.

Highlights

Science keeps turning small moments into findings that shape our view of space and our future safety.