Amateur astronomer finds 390-million-year-old meteorite crater via Google Maps

An amateur astronomer has identified a previously unknown meteorite impact crater in Quebec, Canada, using Google Maps. The discovery, confirmed by scientists, dates back approximately 390 million years.

The crater, named the Uhackatik Crater, was spotted by the amateur astronomer while he was planning a camping trip. The find adds a new site to the record of ancient impacts on Earth, which are rare and valuable for understanding planetary geology and the history of the solar system.

According to reports, the crater is located in Quebec and was confirmed after the initial discovery on Google Maps. The impact structure is estimated to be 390 million years old, placing it in the Devonian period. The name "Uhackatik" was assigned to the crater following its confirmation.

The discovery was made by an amateur astronomer, whose name was not immediately provided in the reports, while mapping out a camping route. The crater appeared as a strange indentation on the satellite imagery, prompting further investigation. Scientists subsequently verified the site as a genuine meteorite impact crater.

Meteorite impact craters are important for scientific research because they provide insights into the frequency and effects of collisions with celestial bodies. The confirmation of the Uhackatik Crater adds to the relatively small number of known impact sites on Earth, many of which have been eroded or hidden by geological processes over millions of years.

The discovery highlights how publicly available tools like Google Maps can contribute to scientific findings. Researchers are likely to conduct further studies on the Uhackatik Crater to learn more about its formation and the environmental conditions at the time of impact.