A recent discovery in Canada's north has sparked excitement among astronomers and geologists alike. An amateur astronomer, Joël Lapointe, stumbled upon a massive crater while planning a camping trip using Google Earth. This find, located in Quebec's Côte-Nord region near Lake Marsal, has been provisionally confirmed by planetary geologist Gordon Osinski from Western University. The crater, named Uhackatik, is estimated to be around 15 miles wide and 390 million years old, making it one of the largest discovered in recent years.
What makes this discovery particularly intriguing is the presence of shock metamorphic effects, which are deformations in rocks caused by meteorite impact. These effects, along with the discovery of impact melt rocks, provide strong evidence of a meteorite impact. The research, while not yet peer-reviewed, will be presented at the 88th Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical Society in August.
The Uhackatik crater offers valuable insights into meteorite impacts on Earth, as well as comparisons to craters on the moon and Mars. One of the best Earth-based comparisons is the Kamestastin (or Mistastin) crater in northern Labrador, Canada, which is similar in size and well-preserved. This crater is also significant because it contains anorthosite, a mineral commonly found in craters at the moon's south pole.
The discovery of Uhackatik has sparked further interest in the Artemis program, which aims to land astronauts on the moon. The Kamestastin crater, in particular, serves as a valuable training ground for the Artemis II astronauts, who conducted an expedition there in 2023. The crater's similarity to Uhackatik makes it an ideal template for exploring the new potential crater.
As the research on Uhackatik continues, Osinski and his collaborators are examining samples microscopically for more evidence of shock effects. This work will contribute to the understanding of meteorite impacts and the geology of the moon, with Osinski set to join the geology teams supporting the Artemis 4 and 5 missions, which will touch down on the moon as soon as 2028.
In my opinion, the discovery of Uhackatik highlights the importance of amateur astronomy and the potential for groundbreaking findings. It also underscores the value of crowd-sourcing platforms like Impact Earth, which facilitate the reporting and study of craters. The collaboration between amateur astronomers, geologists, and universities demonstrates the power of collective effort in advancing our understanding of the universe.
