Imagine sipping your coffee when suddenly – BOOM! A sonic tremor rattles your home. That’s exactly what happened to one McDonough resident when a meteorite the size of a cherry tomato punched through his roof, shredded his HVAC duct, and embedded itself in his floor with the force of a close-range gunshot.
On June 26, a meteorite streaked across the daytime sky and crash-landed in Atlanta, drawing attention across the US Southeast. Now, thanks to researchers at the University of Georgia (UGA), this meteorite has a name: the McDonough Meteorite.
Planetary geologist Scott Harris, who's leading the investigation, suggests the resident heard three sounds simultaneously as the meteorite struck the house. A roof impact, a mini sonic boom, and the floor strike, all in a single cosmic heartbeat.
The team acquired 23 grams of the 50 total from the piece that penetrated the house. Thorough investigation using high-powered optical and electron microscopes revealed the meteorite as a Low Metal (L) ordinary Chondrite, a type of stony meteorite formed in the presence of oxygen.
Based on this classification, the age of this McDonough Meteorite is estimated to be 4.56 billion years. It means it is older than the Earth and likely originated from a massive asteroid breakup in the central belt between Mars and Jupiter some 470 million years ago.
Before it became a living room guest, the meteorite was a bolide, a blazing fireball hurtling toward Earth at over 1 km (0.62 miles) per second. Though Earth's atmosphere slowed it down, it still packed enough punch to pulverize flooring into dust.
"You're talking about something that is double the size of a 50-caliber shell, going at least 1 kilometer per second," added Harris. "That's like running 10 football fields in one second."
Meteorites are traditionally named after the ZIP code where they’re found. Thus, the McDonough Meteorite joins the ranks of Georgia’s 27 recorded meteorites and is only the sixth ever witnessed during its fall.
UGA is collaborating with Arizona State University to submit the official classification to the Meteoritical Society’s Nomenclature Committee. Once approved, the McDonough Meteorite will be immortalized in the Meteoritical Bulletin.
Beyond the excitement, Harris emphasizes the importance of studying these fragments. Understanding their composition and dynamics helps scientists prepare for potential future impacts from larger, more dangerous space rocks.
“One day, something big could come our way,” Harris warned. “And we want to be ready.”
Dr. Harris plans to publish a detailed paper on the McDonough Meteorite's composition, speed, and trajectory in the coming year.
Source: University of Georgia
