UGA researchers say meteorite that hit metro Atlanta home is older than Earth

Pieces of the meteorite that crashed into a McDonough, Georgia, home in June 2025. (Matthew Pearson/WABE)

Researchers at the University of Georgia have named a meteorite that crashed into a metro Atlanta residence earlier this summer, and they estimate that it formed over 4.56 billion years ago.

The “McDonough Meteorite,” named after the Henry County city where it was found, crashed through the roof of a residential property on June 26.

The owner of the property described the encounter as sounding like the equivalent of a close-range gunshot. Outside of damage to his roof and HVAC duct, he also reported a solid dent left in his living room floor from the crash.