A couple captured the sound of a meteorite hitting Earth for first time ever - on their home security camera.

Laura Kelly and partner Joe Velaidum were curious about the dust in front of their home in the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island in July 2024.

They checked CCTV footage and noticed an astonishing sight: the exact moment a rock came out of nowhere and landed on the path, scattering grey dust and fragments across the walk and grass.

University of Alberta, who studied the rock sample, said: "Blink and you'll miss it: the rock can only be seen in one frame of the video, which indicates rapid movement, but the exploding dust and sound of the impact was undeniable. It clearly came from the sky and appeared to be a meteorite."

The homeowners recovered about 7 grams of the rock from the grass next to the walkway, returning to pick up more samples in the coming days using a vacuum and magnet.

They also connected with Chris Herd, curator of the University of Alberta's Meteorite Collection and professor in the Faculty of Science, via the University of Alberta's Meteorite Reporting System. Upon examination of photos of the fragments, he confirmed the discovery was, in fact, a meteorite.

By chance, Chris Herd had planned a family trip to Prince Edward Island ten days after the fall; the trip now included a diversion to check the space where the meteorite landed.

With the help of some family members Herd documented the meteorite fragments, measured a 2 x 2 cm divot in the walkway formed by the meteorite's impact, and recovered a subset of the fragments to become part of the University of Alberta Meteorite Collection.

Analysis shows that the newly-named Charlottetown Meteorite is an ordinary chondrite with features that help to explain why it broke apart as it hit the ground.

"As the first and only meteorite from the province of PEI, the Charlottetown Meteorite sure announced its arrival in a spectacular way. No other meteorite fall has been documented like this, complete with sound," Chris Herd says. "It adds a whole new dimension to the natural history of the Island."