In an extraordinary stroke of luck, Canadian man Joe Velaidum captured something unprecedented: both video and audio of a meteorite crashing to Earth. According to CBC News, scientists believe this is the first time such an event has been recorded in this manner. What makes the story more intriguing is that Velaidum had been standing at the exact impact spot just minutes before the meteorite struck. "The shocking thing for me is that I was standing right there just a couple of minutes before impact," he said. Reflecting on the close call, he said, "If I’d seen it, I probably would’ve been standing right there, and it could have ripped me in half." His daughter, Laura Kelly, revealed that the family initially doubted the object's origins. "My father thought it could be a meteorite and sent us a link to the University of Alberta’s Meteorite Reporting System," she explained. “I’ll admit, we were sceptical at first.” Their doubts quickly turned to awe when experts confirmed the discovery. "We are now in awe that a piece of ancient interstellar space could travel millions of miles and land, literally, on our doorstep," Kelly said. The moment was captured by the doorbell camera outside their home, preserving the rare sight and sound of the meteorite’s descent. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Chris Hadfield (@colchrishadfield) The University of Alberta’s investigation revealed that the Charlottetown meteorite is classified as an ordinary chondrite, but its discovery is anything but ordinary from a scientific perspective. Chris Herd, a geologist and professor from the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, emphasised the importance of the discovery, calling it a momentous event. He said, “As the first and only meteorite from the province of PEI, and possibly the Maritimes, the Charlottetown Meteorite announced its arrival in a spectacular way.” He also said that no other meteorite fall has ever been documented quite like this. What makes this meteorite truly remarkable is how it was captured on record. “As far as we know, it’s the first time that a meteorite falling to Earth has been recorded on video, with sound. It adds a whole new dimension to the natural history of the Island,” Herd said. This unprecedented documentation brings a fresh perspective to the story of PEI's natural history.
