🔥 Trending Quebec Meteorite Crater: What We Know About the 390-Million-Year-Old Impact Site

A newly identified meteorite crater, unofficially named Uhaachatik Crater, has been confirmed in Quebec's Côte-Nord region. This significant discovery, made possible by an amateur astronomer using Google Maps, is estimated to be 390 million years old and spans approximately 15 miles (24 kilometers) in width ²⁵⁶.

Discovery and Confirmation

The crater was initially spotted by Joël Lapointe, an amateur astronomer from Quebec, in late 2023 while he was using Google Maps to plan a camping and road trip in the Côte-Nord region ²⁶⁸. He noticed an unusual circular depression that he suspected might be an impact crater ⁶.

Following Lapointe's observation, researchers visited the site in 2025 and confirmed its origin as a meteor impact site ³. The presence of a "shatter cone," a rare geological feature exclusively formed by meteor impacts, provided conclusive evidence ³. This confirmation has led to the crater being unofficially named Uhaachatik Crater ⁵.

Geological Significance

The Uhaachatik Crater is a testament to a powerful cosmic event that occurred approximately 390 million years ago ²⁵. Its discovery is considered to reshape Earth's history by providing new insights into ancient impact events ⁵.

Other Notable Quebec Craters

Quebec is home to several other prominent impact craters, each with its own unique characteristics:

• Manicouagan Reservoir: This is one of the largest and most well-known impact structures in Quebec, located in the Côte-Nord region, about 300 km north of Baie-Comeau ¹. The reservoir itself was formed within the annular impact structure.
• Pingualuit Crater: Formerly known as the "Chubb Crater" and later the "New Quebec Crater," this relatively young impact crater is located on the Ungava Peninsula in the Nord-du-Québec region ⁴. Its pristine condition and deep, clear lake make it a remarkable geological site.
• Ancient Asteroid Impact Site (214 Million Years Ago): Another significant but unnamed asteroid impact site in Quebec is known to have reshaped Earth approximately 214 million years ago, offering further evidence of the region's history of cosmic impacts ⁷.

The discovery of the Uhaachatik Crater adds another important piece to the geological puzzle of Quebec, highlighting the province's rich history of extraterrestrial impacts.