Man Narrowly Escapes Meteorite Strike: ‘It Probably Would’ve Have Ripped Me in Half!’ – The Daily Galaxy –Great Discoveries Channel

A fiery streak lights up the night sky, and within moments, a deafening crash shatters the calm in a quiet Canadian neighborhood. What followed was an extraordinary encounter with a visitor from space that left scientists stunned and one homeowner counting his lucky stars. Captured on camera and marked by a near-miss too close for comfort, this celestial event has sparked fascination—and raised questions—about the mysteries of the cosmos. What happened in Charlottetown that night? The answer will leave you amazed.A meteorite hurtling at over 125 mph (201.17 km/h) narrowly avoided striking a Canadian homeowner, creating an extraordinary scene captured on video. The event, which took place in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, has captivated scientists and stargazers alike, offering a rare glimpse into the unpredictable power of space.The incident unfolded outside the home of Joe Velaidum, whose doorbell camera recorded the meteorite’s fiery descent and explosive impact. Moments before the meteorite hit his front porch, Velaidum and his dogs had been standing in the very spot where it landed.The shocking thing for me is that I was standing right there a couple of minutes right before this impact,” Velaidum said in an interview. “If I’d have seen it, I probably would’ve been standing right there, so it probably would’ve ripped me in half.”The footage shows the meteorite blazing through the night sky before colliding with the ground, producing a distinctive splat as it shattered into fragments. This rare documentation of a meteorite impact has been described as unparalleled by researchers.The meteorite, now dubbed the Charlottetown Meteorite, left behind a fine gray powder and scattered fragments on Velaidum’s property. Intrigued, Velaidum collected some of the material and submitted it for analysis to Chris Herd, a professor and curator of the University of Alberta’s meteorite collection.Herd confirmed the object’s extraterrestrial origin, noting its classification as an “ordinary chondrite.” These stony meteorites are composed of small mineral granules and offer clues about the processes that occur during their journey through space and subsequent collision with Earth.“As the first and only meteorite from the province of PEI, the Charlottetown Meteorite sure announced its arrival in a spectacular way. No other meteorite fall has been documented like this, complete with sound,” Herd said. “It adds a whole new dimension to the natural history of the Island.”Herd traveled to Prince Edward Island to collect additional fragments for further study, adding this rare find to the university’s collection of meteorites.Meteorite strikes on Earth are exceedingly rare, and incidents involving people or property are even less common. The Charlottetown Meteorite is the first documented case in the region and provides a unique opportunity for scientists to study its composition and impact dynamics.Although the odds of being struck by a meteorite are infinitesimally small, history has recorded a few notable close encounters. In 1954, a woman in Sylacauga, Alabama, was famously struck by a grapefruit-sized meteorite while napping on her couch. The rock pierced her ceiling, bounced off her radio, and hit her on the side, leaving her with a severe bruise but otherwise unharmed.While space debris such as satellites or used rocket components occasionally falls to Earth, it rarely causes significant harm. Meteorites, composed of natural space rock, often burn up upon entering the atmosphere, making intact impacts a scientific curiosity.The Charlottetown Meteorite highlights the unpredictable nature of cosmic phenomena. For the scientific community, such events are valuable not only for their rarity, but also for the insights they provide into the origins of our solar system. Meteorites like this one can contain minerals and isotopes that date back billions of years, serving as time capsules of the early solar system’s formation.This particular meteorite’s explosive fragmentation upon impact is a key point of study. Scientists hope to learn more about the physical forces at play when a meteorite enters Earth’s atmosphere and strikes the surface.Got a reaction? Share your thoughts in the commentsEnjoyed this article? Subscribe to our free newsletter for engaging stories, exclusive content, and the latest news.Pretty cool to have caught it on video, but stop it with the BS sensationalization “it would have ripped me half.” Come on people, it was moving slightly faster than a fastball and had about the same mass. We’re talking about 5 ft-lbs here. Experts generally state that 40 to 60 ft-lbs of energy is required for a lethal injury, and that’s only for a “well placed shot.”Comment Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

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