A **meteorite** crash-landed on the path of a Canadian couple’s residence, breaking the tranquility with a noise reminiscent of ice cracking. This remarkable occurrence was documented by their doorbell camera, possibly marking the first-ever audio recording of a meteorite impact.
Joe Velaidum and Laura Kelly, inhabitants of Prince Edward Island, were left in disbelief when a cosmic rock struck their land. “What are the odds that this meteorite journeyed hundreds of millions of kilometers, ricocheted around in space, penetrated our atmosphere, and settled right at our doorstep in this quaint community on a small island in the Atlantic?” Velaidum pondered. “The chances are just astronomical.”
### A Unique Event Captured on Film
Doorbell cameras have recorded a fair number of peculiar incidents—roaming wildlife, careless delivery personnel, and even suspects in crimes. However, this meteorite impact stands apart. As per The Meteoritical Society, which monitors meteorite information, only **69 meteorites** have been recorded as hitting Canada.
On July 25, 2024, Velaidum and Kelly were getting ready to take their dogs for a walk when the meteorite struck. Upon returning home, they found light gray dust and black stones distributed in a star-like arrangement on their brick walkway. Initially, they suspected that something might have fallen from their roof. Nonetheless, the impact left nearly a one-inch indentation in the brick, leading Kelly’s father to propose it might be a meteorite. Analyzing their doorbell footage verified the hypothesis: a rock had indeed descended from the heavens.
### The Science of the Space Rock
The couple reached out to the University of Alberta’s Meteorite Reporting System, where Chris Herd, curator of the meteorite collection, assessed the images of the debris. Herd pointed out the existence of a **fusion crust**, a thin, glassy coating that forms when a meteor’s surface melts from atmospheric friction. While the majority of meteorite claims tend to be inaccurate—Herd estimates that 99.9% of such instances involve earthly stones—this one seemed authentic.
Eager to collect as much of the extraterrestrial substance as they could, Kelly and Velaidum, along with assistance from Kelly’s father, utilized magnets and even a vacuum cleaner to gather remnants. Ultimately, they managed to retrieve about **95 grams** of meteorite pieces, roughly equivalent to the weight of 17 U.S. quarters.
### A Meteorite Dubbed Charlottetown
By coincidence, Herd had a vacation arranged for Prince Edward Island two weeks later and visited the couple’s residence to inspect the site. He classified the meteorite as an **ordinary chondrite**, the most prevalent type of stony meteorite, primarily composed of silicate minerals alongside some metallic content. The meteorite has since been officially named **Charlottetown**, after the site of its descent.
Meteorites are classified as either “falls” or “finds.” A “fall” describes a meteorite whose descent is either observed or recorded, while “finds” are those discovered without any witnessed event. According to The Meteoritical Society, falls are exceedingly uncommon, with only 410 documented since 1957 in contrast to tens of thousands of finds. Whether Charlottetown is the first fall ever captured with both audio and video is yet to be verified, as such records are not systematically archived.
### Scientific and Personal Ramifications
The video evidence of the Charlottetown meteorite provides invaluable scientific data. The exact timing of the impact, combined with fireball sightings, could aid researchers in determining the meteorite’s origin and flight path. The recorded frames may also offer insights into its descent’s angle and velocity, while the accompanying audio could unlock clues about its physical characteristics. Herd intends to pursue further analyses on the specimen.
For Velaidum, a professor of religious studies at the University of Prince Edward Island, this experience has been transformative. While reviewing the doorbell footage, he realized he had stood in the precise spot where the meteorite landed just moments before the event. The near-miss prompted deep reflections on the fragility of existence.
“I teach a course on the meaning of life, where we delve into how immense the universe is compared to the insignificance of human life,” Velaidum shared. “Prior to this occurrence, that felt like an academic exercise. Now, it resonates on a deeply personal level.”
### A Celestial Reminder
The Charlottetown meteorite serves as a rare testament to the universe’s expanse and unpredictability. While NASA estimates that **48.5 tons of meteor material** fall to Earth daily, the majority of it disintegrates in the atmosphere or lands in the oceans. The revelation of this meteorite, combined with its extraordinary recording, emphasizes the scientific and philosophical importance of such cosmic events.