An Australian man’s Tesla was struck by an object that might have been a meteorite. Andrew Melville-Smith, a veterinarian from Whyalla, described the impact as violent. His windscreen cracked, and it looked like the glass softened. Remarkably, the car remained in Autopilot mode, seemingly unaware of the chaos inside.
Melville-Smith reported the incident to the South Australian Museum, which is investigating the object. If confirmed to be a meteorite, this would be the first recorded case of such an occurrence hitting a moving vehicle.
“I thought we’d crashed. It was that loud and violent,” Melville-Smith said. His experience highlights how rare it is to witness a meteorite hitting something—and even rarer to be in the vehicle.
Material from space falls to Earth constantly, about 5,200 tons each year. Most of this consists of tiny particles, often unnoticed by us. Larger meteorites are much rarer, as many burn up upon entering the atmosphere. Getting hit by one is exceptionally unlikely.
The museum’s first task is examining the damaged windscreen for any embedded particles. If found, scientists will look for the meteorite itself. Kieran Meaney, a mineralogist at the museum, noted the unusual heat involved. The glass melting suggests that whatever hit it had significant thermal energy.
Typically, meteorites are cold upon landing because they lose heat as they enter the atmosphere. However, if an object travels fast enough, the impact could generate a lot of heat. Other explanations for the incident could include objects falling from planes or even common earth rocks.
As investigations continue, the scientific community is watching closely. If confirmed, this event could lead to exciting new insights about how meteors interact with our world.
Meteorite hits are rare. Approximately 70 meteorites are reported every year worldwide, and most go unrecognized. Social media buzz around this incident shows how people are fascinated by the idea of rocks from space.
In the end, whether this object is truly a meteorite or not, it captures our imagination about the universe above us.
For more information on meteorites, you can check out the American Museum of Natural History.
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