A meteorite has been confirmed to have landed near a home in Charlottetown, PEI, surprising the homeowners and sparking scientific interest.
The meteorite left a small, smoldering divot about two centimeters wide. Curious about what had landed, the homeowners reached out to experts all the way in Alberta for help.
As luck would have it, Chris Herd from the University of Alberta was already planning a family trip to PEI. He jumped at the chance to check out the scene himself.
Herd recalled weighing the materials in the homeowner’s kitchen to see what they had collected. He later took some fragments back to his lab and confirmed it was indeed a meteorite, now known as the Charlottetown Meteorite.
This is a big deal because it’s the first recorded meteorite from PEI and the Maritimes. Scientists believe it likely originated from the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, traveling light years before landing on the island.
Herd noted that meteorites often contain elements found on Earth, and this one has nickel and iron. He described it as being “just pulverized,” with a preserved flake showing the fusion crust from its journey through the atmosphere.
The research is ongoing, and Herd and his team are eager to learn more about this fascinating rock and its size before it made its fiery descent.
