Meteorite that hit McDonough home may be over 4 billion years old
The Tellus Science Museum now has a part of the meteorite that shone though the sky across the Southeast last month. (Tellus Science Museum)
HENRY COUNTY, Ga. - A meteorite that crashed through the roof of a Henry County home last month is estimated to be more than 4 billion years old — about 20 million years older than Earth itself, according to a University of Georgia scientist.
ORIGINAL STORY: 'Fireball' seen falling from sky over Southeast confirmed as meteor, possibly hit Georgia home
What they're saying:
Planetary geologist Scott Harris, who examined the meteorite, said it belongs to a group of asteroids in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Researchers believe it may be linked to the breakup of a much larger asteroid about 470 million years ago, according to CNN.
The meteorite’s fiery descent was spotted by people across Georgia, Florida, Tennessee and South Carolina before breaking apart in the atmosphere. One piece punched a hole in a home in McDonough, drawing national attention.
MORE: Why the daytime fireball meteor that blasted over Atlanta was a rare sight
Harris and colleagues at Arizona State University have proposed naming the space rock the "McDonough Meteorite" in honor of the city where it landed.
Local perspective:
A piece of that outer space rock is now a part of Georgia's Tellus Science Museum's collection. The outer space rock was the 29th meteorite documented in Georgia and the second time one ever hit a home, according to Tellus.
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