A 4.5-Billion-Year-Old Meteorite Was Found in Mississippi by a Couple from Houston

As people who both dabble in the field of astronomy, Marc Fries and his wife Linda enjoy meteorite dates. They have been engaging in such activities and searching for meteorites that could finally fulfill their goal for years.

During a date in Mississippi, the couple from Houston just had the most memorable moment that happens once in a blue moon. Marc and Linda’s meteorite date that day did not end in disappointment; instead, they discovered a 4.5-billion-year-old meteorite.

“As soon as I saw the thing, I screamed, oh my gosh, I found one!” said Marc Fries, a NASA cosmic dust curator. The fragment of an astronomical body was found at a roadside on Highway 84. The couple’s five-hour trip from Houston was not in vain, and it was truly an epic moment for them after going on several such dates.

Marc works as a NASA cosmic dust curator, and Linda has a position in the Earth and Planetary Science Department at Rice University. “It was the ultimate date,” said Linda Fries, a science writer. “I don’t think anybody else could achieve something similar.” The universe recognized their relationship, and the couple couldn’t get any happier.

According to NASA scientists, meteorites randomly fall on the earth’s surface, but they usually fall in inaccessible places. Paul Abell, a chief scientist at NASA, also shared in the interview that “They’re like time capsules. We can go back in time and see what things were like 4.5 billion years ago.”

Abell is a colleague of Marc, and he is an expert in small body exploration. The chief scientist also manages the Rapid Response Meteorite Recovery Team. After the rare discovery of the couple, the meteorite was handed over to NASA for further studies. Here’s a video from 12 News Now; watch how thrilled the couple is as they share their contribution to astronomy.