Look up in the sky ... It's a bird, it's a plane ... No, it's a 4.56-billion-year-old meteorite that's older than Earth!

Nobody expected the universe to send a message from the past, but that’s exactly what happened over Georgia and the Southeast recently. This isn’t just any rock; it’s a fiery comet, affectionately dubbed the ‘McDonough Meteorite,’ and it made a spectacular entrance on June 26, streaking across the sky like a cosmic shooting star. Thanks to the amazing footage captured by Atlanta News First viewer Lindsey Rodney, we now have a front-row seat to this celestial event.

The meteoric wonder didn’t just show up for a photo op. It crashed into a residential home just outside Atlanta, and miraculously, no one was hurt in the dramatic encounter. Imagine the story that will be told for generations: ‘The day a piece of the universe collided with our roof!’ The University of Georgia wasted no time in getting to the bottom of this cosmic mystery. They released a statement on Friday, highlighting the work of UGA planetary geologist Scott Harris, who examined the meteor fragments after they were retrieved from the roof.

Upon analysis, Harris revealed that the meteorite, weighing in at a tiny 23 grams, is an astonishing 20 million years older than Earth itself! Can you believe it? This rock has been around for a staggering 4.56 billion years, witnessing the birth of planets and the evolution of life long before humans ever roamed the Earth. Talk about ancient wisdom!

The excitement surrounding the meteor doesn't stop there. Officials have confirmed that the fireball was indeed a meteor that struck the Earth, leaving behind fragments that serve as a tangible connection to the universe's history. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime event, reminding us that even in our mundane lives, the universe is always reaching out to us in mysterious and unexpected ways.