The journey of ancient meteorites spanning billions of years.

(Dan Tri Newspaper) - With an age that may be older than Earth, this small rock has become a valuable "witness" to the story of the formation of the Solar System from its early beginnings.

A 23-gram meteorite, identified as an ancient chondrite formed approximately 4.56 billion years ago—possibly even older than Earth—has fallen in Georgia, USA.

The McDonough meteorite is older than Earth (Image: University of Georgia).

On July 26th, a bright fireball suddenly appeared in the skies over several states in the southeastern United States, heading towards Earth.

This rare astronomical phenomenon was so bright that it was detected by satellites in orbit.

This object is a meteor that entered Earth's atmosphere at high speed, experiencing intense friction before landing in McDonough, Georgia.

The impact created a hole in the roof, xuyên through the ceiling and damaged the wooden floor, just 4 meters from where a resident was standing. Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident.

The origin of rocks older than Earth.

After being recovered, the meteorite, named McDonough, was taken to the University of Georgia for study. Scientist Scott Harris said that initial analysis identified it as a common low-metal (L) chondrite – an ancient type of rock in the Solar System.

The McDonough meteorite pierced the roof, creating a small hole in the floor before being recorded by a witness (Photo: University of Georgia).

According to orbital analysis, the McDonough asteroid originated from the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Its estimated age is approximately 4.56 billion years, meaning it likely formed before Earth, which was created around 4.54 billion years ago.

The theory suggests that, about 470 million years ago, a massive collision shattered a large asteroid into countless fragments. Some of these fragments were propelled into orbits intersecting Earth, continuing to drift through space for hundreds of millions of years before being pulled into the atmosphere by gravity.

The McDonough meteorite may be one of those fragments, carrying with it the story of the formation of the Solar System from its early beginnings.

Scientists believe this small rock has become a valuable "witness" to planetary science, providing vivid evidence of the formation and evolution of the Solar System.

Currently, a team of scientists at the University of Georgia is conducting in-depth analysis of the meteorite's mineral composition, crystal structure, and thermal alteration signatures.

This data helps astronomy better understand the primordial physical environment, massive collisions, and the evolution of celestial bodies.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/khoa-hoc/hanh-trinh-keo-dai-hang-ty-nam-cua-thien-thach-co-xua-20250813062538920.htm