A Meteorite Older Than Earth Itself

On July 26th, a fireball flew through the sky in the southeastern area of the United States, catching the attention of people from 7 different states. The meteor that fell through the sky was breaking apart as it tore through the Earth’s atmosphere. A small part of the meteor fell through a house in Georgia. Scientists say that the meteor is older than Earth.

Millions of meteorites hit the Earth every day, but they are only grain-sized, meaning they burst into dust. Larger meteors that can hit the Earth before turning to dust are called meteorites. Meteors are pieces of ancient rock and debris that break into the Earth’s atmosphere. They can heat up and make the atmosphere glow as well. The exceptionally bright ones are called fireballs.

Most fireballs are only seen at night, but the meteor on June 26th was so bright that people could see it in the daylight. It also made a loud “boom” sound, making people think there was an earthquake. When things go faster than the speed of sound, it creates a loud sound known as a “sonic boom.”

The meteor that broke into the house in Georgia was about the size of a cherry tomato. It left a dent in the house that was bigger than a quarter.

Scientists at the University of Georgia (UGA) decided that they would contact the owner of the house to get more information about the meteor. About 50 grams (1.76 ounces) of the meteor was retrieved. A geologist at UGA, Scott Harris, thinks the meteorite is about 4.56 billion years old, which is about 20 million years older than Earth.

Citations:

“Meteorite That Hit House Is Older Than Earth.” NewsForKids.net, 14 Aug. 2025, newsforkids.net/articles/2025/08/14/meteorite-that-hit-house-is-older-than-earth.