© Roy S./Pexels
Every year, thousands of meteors enter the Earth's atmosphere. Most are very small and completely disintegrate due to the frictional forces of the air before reaching the ground. They then burn up violently, creating spectacular shooting stars (such as the Perseids or the Geminids). Only the most resistant fragments manage to cross the atmosphere and reach the ground, they are then called meteorites.
While relatively many of them reach Earth, seeing one crash into the ground live is a rare occurrence. However, on July 25, 2024, a home surveillance camera on a quiet street in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada captured this brief moment.
A camera in the right place
The Ring (a brand specializing in smart home security systems) surveillance device installed in the home of Joe Velaidum and Laura Kelly accomplished much more than its primary function. The camera captured not only the trajectory of the meteorite, but also the distinct sound of its impact with the ground – a world first according to experts.
Chris Herd, a geologist at the University of Alberta, was thrilled by the exceptional nature of the recording: “The Charlottetown meteorite, being the first and only meteorite from the province of Prince Edward Island, certainly made a grand entrance. No other meteorite strike has been documented in this manner, with a sound recording ».
The proximity of the meteorite to Joe and Laura's home, coupled with the sensitivity of the camera's microphone, allowed for a unique and high-quality sound recording to be captured. As you can see in the video below, the impact is extremely violent.
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Stardust at our door
Analysis of the recovered fragments revealed that it is an ordinary chondrite, a category of meteorite that offers us a unique window into the first moments of our solar system. Their special composition lies in their characteristic structure: they contain chondrules, tiny silicate spherules that formed about 4.56 billion years ago, when the early solar nebula began to condense.
200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000These meteorites are called “ordinary” not because of a lack of scientific interest, but rather because of their relative frequency among samples found on Earth, representing nearly 90% of the meteorites discovered. Their preservation is explained by the fact that they have never undergone the processes of planetary differentiation – those mechanisms which, on planets like Earth, have led to the separation of elements into distinct layers (core, mantle, crust).
A double stroke of luck
Current data show that our planet intercepts daily 48.5 tons of meteoritic material in its atmosphere. The study of atmospheric processes shows that the majority of this mass disintegrates during its passage, as explained in the introduction. Statistical analyses indicate that only a few dozen meteors per year develop sufficient mass to reach the stage of fireballs. Among these, a tiny fraction manages to cross the atmospheric layers to the ground.
In the case of the Charlottetown meteorite, it dug a crater two centimeters in diameter, which indicates that it must have measured only a few centimeters. For comparison, the Chicxulub meteorite, which caused the extinction of the dinosaurs, is estimated to be between 10 and 15 km in diameter.
This discovery almost remained anonymous if it had not been for the intervention of Laura's parents, who heard the sound of the impact. Velaidum's examination of the debris led to the identification of meteorite fragments, distributed in the surrounding grass. Professor Herd's analyses later confirmed the authenticity of these fragments.
The remarkable aspect of this event lies in the convergence of two factors: the complete audiovisual recording of the fall and the absence of casualties. As Velaidum pointed out in his interview with CBC News: “The most surprising thing for me is that I was exactly at that spot a few minutes before the impact. If I had been there at the time of the fall, the meteorite would probably have pierced me ».
On average, meteorites enter the atmosphere at speeds of between 11 and 72 km/s (or between 40,000 and 259,200 km/h). No need to draw you a picture to explain that the inhabitants of this house were extremely lucky not to find themselves under it. A luck that is almost miraculous.
- A meteorite was filmed and its sound impact recorded for the first time in Charlottetown, Canada, thanks to a surveillance camera.
- The recovered fragments show that it is an ordinary chondrite, a type of meteorite that gives us valuable information about the formation of the solar system 4.56 billion years ago.
- The event is exceptional for its complete recording and the absence of victims, despite the impact that took place close to the residents.
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