Doorbell cam captures meteorite's historic landing in Canada

In July 2024, a Ring camera installed in front of Joe Velaidum and Laura Kelly's home in Charlottetown documented the moment a meteorite shattered on the sidewalk in front of their entrance. Remarkably, the recording captured the clear sound of the cosmic rock hitting the ground. Geologist Chris Herd from the University of Alberta, who examined fragments of this object, believes this could be the first time the sound of a falling meteorite has been documented.

"As the first and only meteorite from Prince Edward Island, the Charlottetown meteorite announced its arrival spectacularly. No other meteorite falls have been documented in this way, including sound," said Herd, as quoted by Science Alert.

The homeowners were out walking their dogs when the meteorite fell. Upon returning, they found a small mess on the sidewalk, and neighbors mentioned a loud noise. Only after reviewing the camera footage did Velaidum and Kelly realize an extraordinary event had taken place right in front of their house.

"What was shocking to me was that I was standing right in that spot just a few minutes before the impact," Velaidum told CBC News. "If I had stayed there, I might have been present at the moment of impact, which could have ended tragically."

Science Alert notes that about 53.5 tons of cosmic material enter Earth's atmosphere daily, but most of it burns up before reaching the surface. Meteorite falls that survive atmospheric entry are rare, with most landing in oceans.

In the case of the Charlottetown meteorite, research indicated that it belonged to the class of ordinary chondrites—the most commonly found meteorites, accounting for about 90% of all such objects. Chondrites are incredibly valuable to science, as they contain materials dating back billions of years, from the time of the formation of the Solar System.