CRAWFORD BAY — Meteorite fragments have been discovered in Crawford Bay after a fireball exploded over the West Kootenay in September.
University of Calgary scientist Alan Hildebrand found nine pieces of the meteorite that was seen and heard across Western Canada and the United States on Sept. 4.
Hildebrand said his team of Fabio Ciceri and Lincoln Hanton examined videos of the meteorite to figure out its flight path and where the fragments might be, which led them to Crawford Bay.
Hildebrand said the fragments are invaluable pieces of data that can show how elements are formed in space but only land in Canada once every five years.
“It’s not just a rock to put on your shelf,” he said. “They bring all kinds of information for us.”
He added there are likely thousands of fragments in the Crawford Bay area, and that he plans to return next year to find more.
The first meteorite fragment, a piece smaller than a nickel, was found on land owned by Doug and Beverly Anderson on Oct. 29.
Doug Anderson said they saw the fireball in September but couldn’t have guessed part of it would crash into his property.
“It was unbelievable how close that was to us,” said Anderson. “It lit up the house for about five seconds, maybe even longer. Then I went upstairs to our deck and the sonic boom was bellowing down the lake. It was quite a phenomenon. We had no idea really what it was.”