- By Shivangi Sharma
- Thu, 23 Jan 2025 07:36 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
As a space rock slammed into the walkway in front of a Canadian couple's house, it screeched like a sheet of ice shattering. Joe Velaidum and Laura Kelly, who live on Prince Edward Island, captured the meteorite hitting their property on their doorbell camera. The meteorite is one of only 69 known to have struck Canada, according to The Meteoritical Society.
“The Meteorite announced its arrival in a spectacular way,” Chris Herd, who collected the specimen and curated the University of Alberta’s meteorite collection, told CNN. “No other meteorite fall has been documented like this, complete with sound,” he added.
That's the sound of a little meteorite smashing into Earth, caught on doorcam.
— Chris Hadfield (@Cmdr_Hadfield) January 16, 2025
video: Joe Velaidum
more info: https://t.co/hVWP2J2mA9... pic.twitter.com/E09kqxXQoN
The meteorite, named "Charlottetown," is notable for its close-range video and audio recording, captured by a doorbell camera near the impact site. Dr Chris Herd from the University of Alberta highlighted its uniqueness, as such incidents are rarely documented with sound.
ALSO READ: What Is Guillain Barre Syndrome? What Are Its Early Symptoms; Check Here
Prince Edward Island’s First Meteorite Strike Comes With Eerie Close Call
Herd and Velaidum also pointed out a series of bizarre coincidences associated with the meteorite’s arrival. The meteorite, believed to be a fragment from the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, likely spent millions or tens of millions of years in space before arriving on Earth on July 25 at 5:02 pm, according to scientist Dr Chris Herd. First and perhaps most sobering, Velaidum would have been struck by the object if it had arrived just a few minutes earlier. This marks the first confirmed meteorite strike in the history of the 2,200 square-mile (5,700 square-kilometer) Prince Edward Island.
Herd happened to have a family vacation planned on the island about 10 days after the incident, so he was able to retrieve the specimen in person. “It’s crazy. This story is full of all kinds of things like that — serendipity,” Herd said.
Velaidum added that he teaches a religious studies course on “the meaning of life” at the University of Prince Edward Island, which includes discussions of the vastness and power of the wider universe.