Meteorites from a significant fireball event that garnered widespread attention over the skies of northern Ontario have been found on an island in Lake Huron. Dave Kenny from Vancouver Island and his colleague Anton Clemens, members of the volunteer group Meteorite Recovery Specialists, discovered multiple meteorite fragments on Cockburn Island on July 11. This island is mostly uninhabited and is situated off the western tip of Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron’s North Channel.
The samples from their discovery were analyzed by the Meteor Physics Group at Western University in London, Ontario. It was confirmed that the rocks originated from a meteor that disintegrated in the atmosphere on June 19, weighing several hundred kilograms and falling to Earth just after 8 p.m. Kenny, an experienced meteorite hunter who has searched for meteorites in various locations worldwide, described this find as particularly special as it marked his first meteorite recovery on Canadian soil.
Despite the challenges, Kenny and Clemens successfully located the meteorite pieces on Cockburn Island. Accessing the island was difficult as it is only reachable by boat. After coordinating with the Cockburn Island council and the Nature Conservancy of Canada to identify permitted search areas, the duo camped at Meldrum Bay on Manitoulin Island and sailed to Cockburn Island each day to scour the land.
During their two and a half days on the island, covering nearly 50 kilometers on foot, Kenny and Clemens discovered significant meteorite fragments. The largest find weighed 57.6 grams and was fully intact, found alongside a road. Another stone, broken into several pieces, was located two kilometers south of Tolsmaville. Kenny mentioned that most of the stones they found were near township roads and public access points, some dangerously close to ATV tracks.
The primary meteorite piece, sent to Western University for further examination, will undergo a six-month study period. While not officially classified yet, the rocks are believed to be chondrites, a common type of meteorite originating from the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.