A meteorite that crashed into a home in the US is older than planet Earth, scientists have said. The object flew through the skies in broad daylight before exploding across the state of Georgia on 26 June, NASA confirmed.

Researchers at the University of Georgia examined a fragment of the rock that pierced the roof of a home in the city of McDonough. They found that, based on the type of meteorite, it is expected to have formed 4.56 billion years ago, making it roughly 20 million years older than Earth.

Residents in Georgia and nearby states reported hundreds of sightings and a loud booming noise when the fireball tore through the skies. The rock quickly diminished in size and speed, but still travelled at least 1 km per second, going through a man’s roof in Henry County. The home’s resident said he is still finding pieces of space dust around his home from the hit.