For Possibly The First Time Ever, A Meteorite Was Captured Hitting The Ground On Video And Audio
A Close Encounter: Meteorite Captured on Video and Audio Strikes Near Canadian Home
It was an ordinary July evening in Marshfield, Prince Edward Island, when Joe Velaidum stepped outside his home to take his dog for a walk. Little did he know, he was moments away from a brush with cosmic history.
As Velaidum paused to move a dog leash from the lawn—a small act of consideration for the landscapers scheduled to arrive later—he unknowingly avoided becoming the second person in recorded history to be struck by a meteorite. Minutes after he left the spot, a meteorite hurtled toward Earth, landing precisely where he had been standing.
“It’s surreal to think about how rare and close this encounter was,” Velaidum said. “I was standing right at the point of impact just minutes before. If I had lingered a little longer, I might not be here today.”
The meteorite’s arrival was captured in stunning detail by Velaidum’s doorbell camera, which recorded both the visual and auditory impact of the event. The footage shows the meteorite streaking through the sky before striking the ground, leaving behind a scattering of dark debris.
Upon returning from his walk, Velaidum noticed the unusual debris and reviewed the camera footage. Intrigued, he collected samples of the material and sent approximately 7 grams (0.24 ounces) to Chris Herd, curator of the University of Alberta’s meteorite collection.
Herd identified the samples as chondrite, one of the oldest known types of meteorites, dating back to the formation of the solar system. “It’s mind-blowing to think that this hunk of rock traveled hundreds of millions of miles and landed on our front doorstep,” Velaidum said.
What makes this event even more remarkable is the rarity of capturing both video and audio of a meteorite impact. “It’s not anything we’ve ever heard before,” Herd said. “From a science perspective, it’s new. No other meteorite fall has been documented like this, complete with sound.”
The meteorite, estimated to have entered Earth’s atmosphere at a staggering 60,000 kilometers per hour (37,282 miles per hour), slowed to a terminal velocity of about 200 kilometers per hour (124 miles per hour) before hitting the ground.
For Velaidum, the experience has been a humbling reminder of the universe’s unpredictability. “I never stop in that spot,” he said. “But that day, I did. And because of that, I’m here to tell the story.”
The incident not only marks a first-of-its-kind scientific discovery but also adds a unique chapter to the natural history of Prince Edward Island. As researchers continue to study the meteorite, its journey from the depths of space to a quiet Canadian lawn serves as a testament to the extraordinary events that can unfold in the blink of an eye.