Have you ever gone to sleep wondering if a meteorite would crash through your ceiling? It turns out maybe we should start thinking about the possibility.
Golden, B.C. Canada is where Ruth Hamilton lives in her, usually, peaceful home. However, it was only a few days ago something alarming occurred. A few hours after Ruth fell asleep, she was awakened by the loud barks of her dog. It was only a few moments later when a meteorite crashed through her bedroom ceiling. Shockingly, the space rock landed mere inches from where Ruth would have been resting her head.
In an interview with CBC News Canada, Ruth described the surreal experience in detail. When the meteorite crashed into her room through the ceiling, she said she felt debris all over her face.
“I jumped out of bed and turned on the lights. I didn’t know what else to do, so I called 911. “alking to the operator, she was asking me all kinds of questions, and at that point, I rolled back one of the two pillows I’d been sleeping on and in between them was the meteorite.”
Ruth Hamilton – CBC NEWS
The meteorite looked to be a dull grey and black color and was about the size of a cantaloupe melon. When Ruth realized how close the meteorite was to landing on her head, she was slightly distraught, as any of us would be.
“I was shaking like a leaf. You’re sound asleep, safe, you think, in your bed, and you can get taken out by a meteorite, apparently.”
Ruth Hamilton – CBC NEWS
Read: Man Keeps Rock For Years, Hoping It’s Gold. It Turned Out to Be Far More Valuable
Meteorite Next to your Pillow? Or Construction Debris?
When the emergency responders arrived, they first suggested that the rock was construction debris. The area near Ruth’s home was being used as a construction site, and the logical suspicion was that it came from there. However, when they contacted those responsible for the construction explosions, they received strange news. There had not been any explosions that night, and none had been scheduled.
After tossing around a few possibilities, Ruth and the responders heard about the meteor shower.
“He called up there and they said they had not done any blasting that night. But the workers had seen a meteorite, or a falling star, explode and there was a couple of booms.… Then we knew that it was a meteorite that had crashed through my roof.”
Ruth Hamilton – CBC NEWS
To be certain and confirm if it was indeed a meteorite, Ruth went to the experts. She handed the rock over to the astronomy department at Western University in London, Ontario. After examining the rock closely, they confirmed it was indeed a space rock.
“It’s certainly a meteorite. Everything about the story was consistent with a meteorite fall, and the fact that this bright fireball had occurred basically right at the same time made it a pretty overwhelming case.”
Professor Peter Brown – CBC NEWS
Where did the Meteorite come from?
Ruth and the team at the University are curious where the meteorite came from and will conduct more tests in the near future. They suspect it is from a nearby asteroid belt, but would like to confirm their thoughts.
Apart from being shaken up, Ruth is doing well. She took a few days to herself after the incident to get a grasp of what transpired. It’s not every day you get a rock from space hurled at your bedroom pillow. Especially while you’re sleeping.
Would you ever be able to sleep normally again? Or would this experience change your life forever? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!
Keep Reading: World’s First Skyscraper Designed to Hand Suspended From An Asteroid
Sources
- “Woman rocked awake by meteorite chunk crashing into her bedroom.” CBC News Canada. October 12, 2021
- “B.C. woman nearly hit by meteorite that crashed through bedroom ceiling: ‘I’ve never been so scared in my life'” Vancouver Sun. Oct 12, 2021