Laura Kelly and her partner were surprised to return home after an evening walk in July to find the sidewalk covered in dust and strange debris. Intrigued, they checked the security camera footage and saw something crashing into the entrance of the house, followed by a cloud of smoke and a bang.
The couple reported the incident to the University of Alberta’s Meteorite Reporting System. Chris Herd, a specialist at the institution, analyzed samples of the debris and has now confirmed that it is a meteorite with interstellar origins.
According to NASA, about 43,500 kilograms of similar space debris hits Earth every day, but it is much more likely to land in oceans than in inhabited areas. This case is unique because it is one of the rare times that a meteorite impact is captured on video, with sound included.
📹by Laura Kelly, Prince Edward Island, Canada.
The sound of a meteorite hitting Earth was captured for the first time – on a doorbell camera.
— 𓂀 𝕋𝔼𝔸ℍ 𓂀 (@TeahCartel)
The space rock was officially registered and named Charlottetown, in honor of the city in Prince Edward Island, Canada, where the impact occurred.
