METEORITE FALLS IN ATLANTIC CANADA - THE ROLE OF THE METEORITES AND IMPACTS ADVISORY COMMITTEE (MIAC) TO THE CANADIAN SPACE AGENCY

The Earth accumulates about 100 tonnes of extraterrestrial material every day (Taylor, 1992; Love and Brownlee, 1993). Most of this material enters the Earth’s atmosphere as tiny dust particles which burn up to form visible streaks of light (meteors or “shooting stars”). Larger fragments may survive the frictional heating and ablation of the atmosphere to land as meteorites. These can produce very bright light trails that can even be visible during full daylight, known as “fireballs”.

Meterorites are an invaluable source of information about the early history of the solar system, the internal composition of planetisimals, and can even comprise material from outside our solar system. Some meteorites have even been derived from Mars, and provide a unique laboratory for investigation into the history of the Red Planet. Every new meteorite find is thus potentially significant.

The Meteorites and Impacts Advisory Committee (MIAC) to the Canadian Space Agency is a volunteer group of geologists and astronomers that serves as the coordinating body for meteorite and impact reporting and research in Canada. Our full and associate members help to investigate and verify reports of fireball trajectories in order to reconstruct the flight path of the meteors with the aim of locating the impact sites of the meteorites.

Currently, there is only one MIAC representative in Atlantic Canada (in Fredericton, New Brunswick). Accurately defining the trajectories of fireballs requires several high quality observations from widely spaced locations. We therefore encourage all those with an interest in meteorites and impacts to consider becoming associate members of MIAC, and help us track and recover meteorites for the National Collection and Canadian research activities.