Fiery Meteorite That Smashed Into A Home Is Believed To Be Older Than Earth

What began as a flash in the night sky and a dramatic crash in a suburban backyard has culminated in a scientific first for Georgia. A meteorite, which streaked through the sky as a brilliant fireball before landing squarely on a Henry County resident's property, has been officially named after its landing site and, perhaps more crucially, been determined to be older than Earth itself.

Late June last year, the now-famous fireball, or bolide, streaked across the daytime sky, captivating onlookers across the Southeast. For one resident in Henry County, the spectacle ended with a jarring crash. A small fragment of that meteorite pierced their roof, and caused a decent dent in the floor. Thankfully no one was injured from the event.

Planetary geologist Scott Harris of University of Georgia's Department of Geology was called in to analyze the fragments. What he and his team discovered was nothing ...