Met Stone Discovered in the Southern Sky

This past June, dashcam footage captured a large fireball streaking across the sky in Lexington, South Carolina. It has now been confirmed that this was a fragment of a meteor, which crashed into a home in Georgia on June 26, 2025.

According to a geology professor, the fragments from this met stone that exploded through a roof in Georgia are believed to date back billions of years, long before Earth even existed.

“Many people reported seeing fireballs,” said Scott Harris, a geologist at the University of Georgia. He noted that the fragment originated from the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter before it fell near Atlanta. Once he learned about the incident, he examined the entry point of the fragment in the home’s attic to assess the damage.

“The homeowners were unaware that there were clear holes not just in the roof but also through the air pipes,” he elaborated. “They knew about the holes in the roof but were surprised to discover that the fragment had penetrated the air pipe, pushed through feet of insulation, and even breached the ceiling, which stood around ten feet high.”

The met stone fragment left an impression on the floor that was, as Harris described, “about the size of a large cherry tomato.” He explained that some parts were crushed as if they had been struck with a sledgehammer.

Interestingly, Harris mentioned that these ancient fragments generated sound waves that exceeded the speed of sound as they entered Earth’s atmosphere.

“These objects return to their original material from 4.56 billion years ago,” he explained. “They essentially represent the building blocks of the rocky planets and help us understand the processes from the early solar system.”

While scientists believe these small pieces pose no immediate threat, Harris added that studying them could provide valuable insights regarding potential risks posed by larger objects. “It’s critical to understand where these materials come from in the solar system, as even the dynamics of these tiny fragments can inform us about the bigger ones and any future threats.”

Scientists are looking into methods of averting possible conflicts with asteroids, possibly using technology demonstrated in past missions. “If we could deflect an asteroid heading towards us quickly enough, that could keep us all safe,” he concluded.