Andrew Davis Tucker / University of Georgia
The fragment belongs to a 4.56 billion meteorite, being hundreds of millions of years older than our planet.
A small space rock that crossed the roof of a house in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia, revealed much older than the planet in which he landed. The researchers determined that the newly Meteorito McDonoughwhich fell on June 26, 2025, if Formed about 4.56 billion years ago -making it hundreds of millions of years older than land itself, whose age is estimated at about 4.5 billion years.
The discovery arises from an analysis led by planetary geologist Scott Harris of the University of Georgia. “This particular meteor has a long history Before reaching McDonough’s ground, ”said Harris.“ To understand this story, we need to study the rock in detail and find out which group of asteroids belongs. ”
Meteor’s trip ended dramatically when he crossed the earth’s atmosphere, creating a fire show before a fragment drill the roof and knead the inside floor from the house in Atlanta. The surviving debris weighed about 50 grams in total, and the Harris team got 23 grams for study.
Using optical and electronic microscopy, the researchers identified the object as a Condito Comum Do Type Lan ordinary class of rocky meteorites. These rocks date from the beginning of the solar system, forming from the dust and debris that surrounded the young sun, explains the.
Scientists believe that the original body of this meteorite suffered a catastrophic collision About 470 million years ago in the main waist of asteroids between Mars and Jupiter. This ancient fragmentation sent numerous fragments to new orbits, some eventually crossing the trajectory of the earth.
“In this break, some pieces enter orbits that cross the earth,” Harris explained. “If there is enough time, its orbits around the sun and the earth align in the same place, at the same moment. ” This celestial alignment has prepared the scenario on the impact of McDonough meteorite this summer.
The specimen will now be preserved at the University of Georgia for deeper exams. Scientists expect continuous studies to clarify the conditions that existed before the formation of the planets, offering a rare physical sample of the First chapter of the history of the solar system.
