Meteorite That Hit Home Is Older Than Earth, Scientists Say

The BBC reports:A meteorite that crashed into a home in the U.S. is older than planet Earth, scientists have said... Researchers at the University of Georgia examined a fragment of the rock that pierced the roof of a home in the city of McDonough [30 miles south of Georgia, on June 26]. They found that, based on the type of meteorite, it is expected to have formed 4.56 billion years ago, making it roughly 20 million years older than Earth... The rock quickly diminished in size and speed, but still travelled at least 1 km per second, going through a man's roof in Henry County... Using optical and electron microscopy, Scott Harris [a Univeristy of Georgia geologist] and his team determined the rock was a chondrite - the most abundant type of stony meteorite, according to NASA - which meant that it was approximately 4.56 billion years old. "The home's resident said he is still finding pieces of space dust around his home from the hit."

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