NEW YORK (news agencies) — A doorbell camera on a Canadian home captured rare video and sound of a meteorite striking Earth as it crashed into a couple’s walkway.
When Laura Kelly and her partner returned home after an evening walk in July, they were surprised to find their walkway littered with dust and strange debris, according to the Meteoritical Society, which posted the video with its report.
They checked their security camera and saw something slamming against their entranceway, producing a cloud of smoke and a crackle.
The pair reported what they found to the University of Alberta’s Meteorite Reporting System and the curator, Chris Herd, examined samples of the debris to confirm its interstellar origins.
Meteorites are bits of space rock that hit Earth after surviving a trip through its scorching atmosphere. About 48 tons (43,500 kilograms) of similar debris strikes Earth every day, according to NASA, but is much more likely to plunge into an ocean than onto someone’s front stoop.
The space rocks also streak the night sky as shooting stars during meteor showers which happen several times a year.
The footage is believed to be a first. While cameras have captured meteors streaking through the sky, it’s rare to capture the sound of a complete meteorite strike on video.
The space rock, officially registered Monday, was named Charlottetown after the city on Prince Edward Island in eastern Canada where it struck.
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