Space & Cosmos

Watch doorbell camera capture rare meteorite impact in Canada

Photo provided by the University of Alberta Meteorite Collection shows debris collected from a meteorite that fell in front of residents’ homes in Marshfield, P.E.I., Canada, in July 2024. Credit: University of Alberta Meteorite Collection/The Canadian Press via AP

A doorbell camera at a home in Canada has captured rare footage and sounds of a meteorite crashing into a couple’s sidewalk and crashing back to Earth.

According to the Meteor Society, which posted a video with the report, Laura Kelly and her partner were surprised to find dust and strange debris strewn on the sidewalk when they returned home from an evening walk in July. It is said that

They checked the security cameras and saw something crash into the front door, causing smoke and crackling sounds.

The pair reported their find to the University of Alberta’s meteorite reporting system, and curator Chris Hurd examined samples of the debris to confirm its interstellar origin.

Credit: University of Alberta

A meteorite is a piece of space rock that crashes into Earth after surviving the scorching heat of the atmosphere. About 48 tons (43,500 kilograms) of similar debris hit Earth every day, but it’s far more likely to end up in the ocean than land on someone’s stoop, according to NASA.

Space rocks also create streaks in the night sky as shooting stars during meteor showers that occur several times a year.

This footage is believed to be the first of its kind. Cameras have captured meteors streaking the sky, but it’s rare to capture the full sound of a meteorite impact on video.

The space rock, which was officially registered on Monday, has been named Charlottetown, after the city on Prince Edward Island in eastern Canada where it crashed.

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Citation: See how doorbell camera captures rare meteorite impact in Canada (January 18, 2025), https://phys.org/news/2025-01-doorbell-camera-captures-rare-meteorite Retrieved January 19, 2025 from .html

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