B.C. woman nearly hit by meteorite that crashed through bedroom ceiling: 'I've never been so scared in my life' https://t.co/eYSMYzlpqkOctober 12, 2021 See more
A Canadian woman narrowly avoided being hit by a meteorite as it crashed through her roof and landed on top of her pillow.
Ruth Hamilton, a Golden resident, British Columbia, was sleeping in her bed when Hamilton reported that she was awakened by an explosion. Hamilton said Hamilton was shocked because something fell through her roof and poured debris on her.
She got up from her bed, jumped out of bed, and turned on the light to discover a rock between her pillows. It was right next to where her head had been just moments before. According to The New York Times, the object was roughly the same size as a fist and weighed approximately 2.8 pounds (1.3 kgs), which was reported by The Times on Thursday (Oct.14).
Related: 6 Crazyest Meteor Impacts: When Space Attacks
Hamilton immediately called 911. A police officer arrived at the scene to investigate the wreckage, and then checked with a local contractor to determine if any explosions had occurred at the Kicking Horse Canyon highway, Victoria News reported.
Hamilton said that a representative from a construction company stated that there was no blasting that night. However, they did mention seeing "a brightly lit area in the sky that had exploded and produced some booms." Hamilton realized that the object she found on her pillow, a greyish, melon-sized boulder, was most likely a rock from outer space. According to the Canadian Broadcasting Company, (CBC).
Every year, thousands upon thousands of space rocks move quickly through Earth's atmosphere and strike the surface of the planet as meteorites. However, most of these cosmic projectiles are not noticed or discovered, according to Space.com, a sister site to Live Science. Hamilton is the closest meteorite to have been recorded in recorded history.
Ann Hodges, a Sylacauga resident, was one of the most famous examples. She was struck by a meteorite on November 30, 1954. Hodges, like Hamilton, was asleep at her house when the meteorite struck. Hamilton was able to escape her disaster unharmed, but Hodges was not so fortunate. Hodges' meteorite was roughly the size of a softball, weighing in at 8.5 pounds (3.8kg). It struck her after she bounced off a radio console, leaving her with a large bruise on her side, Space.com reported.
Hamilton was not hurt in the accident, but she said that the experience left her shaken.
Hamilton stated that she was sound asleep and safe in her bed. "A meteorite can take you out of your bed," Hamilton said. According to the CBC, Hamilton plans to send the meteorite for analysis to the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Western University, London, Ontario. However, she would prefer to keep the rock after the investigation is complete.
Original publication on Live Science
