In a remarkable event captured on home security footage, a meteorite crashed onto the driveway of a Canadian couple's home, marking the first time both the visual and audio of such an impact have been recorded. A Ring doorbell camera at the front door of Joe Velaidum and Laura Kelly's home in Marshfield, Prince Edward Island, documented the meteorite's descent and impact, providing invaluable data for scientists. According to CBC News, this occurrence is unparalleled in the annals of meteorite observations.
Upon returning from a walk, the couple discovered mysterious gray, star-shaped dust and black debris scattered across their driveway. Prompted by Kelly's parents, who lived nearby and had heard a loud crashing noise, they reviewed their security footage. The video revealed a fast-moving space rock plummeting from the sky, hitting the brick wall next to their driveway, and producing a cloud of smoke and a distinct crackling sound. The impact left a tiny crater just two centimeters in diameter on the ground.
"This is the first time that we've been able to record the fall of a meteorite both in video and sound," said Chris Herd, a geologist and curator of the University of Alberta's meteorite collection, as reported by Live Science. Herd explained that the meteorite entered Earth's atmosphere at approximately 60,000 kilometers per hour, decelerating to about 200 kilometers per hour before striking the ground.
The couple collected samples of the debris and reported their findings to the University of Alberta's Meteorite Reporting System. Using a vacuum and a magnet, they recovered a total of roughly 95 grams of meteorite material. Some of these samples, weighing about seven grams, were sent to Herd for analysis. Subsequent examination revealed that the meteorite was an ordinary chondrite, a common type that represents about 90% of all recovered meteorites. Herd noted that ordinary chondrites are scientifically valuable because they provide insights into the composition of the dust present during the formation of the Solar System.
Herd believed that the specimen originated from the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, having broken off millions of years ago before embarking on a journey that ultimately led it to Earth. "This meteorite comes from the asteroid belt... between Mars and Jupiter, so it has traveled a long way," he explained to Futurism.
The meteorite has since been named the Charlottetown Meteorite, after the nearby city, and was officially registered on January 13. "It's really awesome. It's actually the first and only meteorite ever found on the Island, and what a way to make that discovery," Herd told CBC News.
Reflecting on the close call, Velaidum expressed his astonishment at how narrowly he missed being struck. "If I had been standing in that exact spot just a minute or two longer, I would have definitely been hit and probably killed by the meteorite," he told NPR. "The shocking thing for me is that I was standing right there a couple of minutes right before this impact. It probably would've ripped me in half," he added in an interview with CBC News. The experience prompted him to reevaluate his priorities. "I've been thinking a lot about it because, you know, when you have a near-death experience, it surprises you a bit," he told NPR.
According to NASA, about 48 tons (43,500 kilograms) of similar debris strike Earth every day, but it is much more likely to plunge into an ocean than onto someone's doorstep. The probability of meteorite material injuring a human is extremely low, and there have been very few recorded instances of meteorites hitting people.
Herd emphasized the importance of the event due to the security camera footage capturing both the visual and audio components of the meteorite's fall. "Every time that this happens, it's a new sample from space," he told CBC News. He noted that while cameras have previously captured meteors streaking through the sky, it is rare to record the sound of a meteorite's complete descent and impact. ABC News Australia reported that this marks a milestone in meteorite documentation.
The incident underscores the increasing prevalence of cameras in capturing rare cosmic events. As Velaidum contemplated the experience, he shared his sense of wonder. "We think our lives are so important when we fill it up with our egos, and there are these cosmic events that just dwarf our little concerns," he told NPR. "And this is a tiny little event when it comes down to it in the cosmic scheme of things, but it's such an eye-opener." "How does one interpret that, except... with wonder and with awe?" Velaidum told CBC News.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.