Have you found a meteorite? Scientists hunt for space rock near Grand Bend after fireball sighting

Fragments of a meteor likely fell somewhere between the southwestern Ontario communities of Saint Joseph and Crediton after scientists at Western University spotted a bright fireball Wednesday evening.

Footage of the fireball was captured at 7:23 p.m. It was picked up by 12 all-sky cameras by Western’s Southern Ontario Meteor Network, a system of cameras that constantly monitors the sky for meteors.

“We believe that the meteorite was large enough, and moving at a speed such that material survived and made it to the ground,” explained Michael Mazur, a PhD student and member of the Western Meteor Physics Group.

The fireball didn’t spend much time in the atmosphere. It traveled north slowly at 13.5 kilometers per second, and it had a starting mass of several kilograms. That’s why Mazur believes there may be something left to find.

It was also still producing light at 24 kilometres altitude, and Mazur says it would have been visible to the naked eye.

View image in full screen

Fireball sightings are not rare. But Mazur said scientists are “excited” because it’s less common for potential material to be left behind and found.

“It’s kind of like finding a needle in a haystack,” Mazur said. The Western Meteor Physics Group will be out in the region Friday, spreading the word, chatting with locals, and checking to see if there’s any trace of the object north of Grand Bend.

“We don’t expect there to be a lot of material on the ground, and they will be small pieces,” he said. “You’re not going to find anything if you stay in the office.”

Meteorites can be recognized by their dark, often scalloped, exterior. Usually, they’re denser than a “normal” rock and will often be attracted to a magnet because of their metal content.

Mazur says they’re interested in speaking with anyone in the area of the potential fall who may have heard or seen anything unusual, or who may have found possible meteorites.

Should you find something, Mazur suggests you place the discovery in a plastic bag, or wrap it in aluminum foil, since the oil from a person’s fingers can cause corrosion.

Because of the object’s size upon entering the atmosphere, scientists say it may have left 10s to 100s of grams of material on the ground.

Anyone with questions, observations, or a suspicious rock is urged to contact Mazur from the Western Meteor Physics Group at mmazur5@uwo.ca or 250-551-6426.