An amateur astronomer using Google Maps has identified a potential 15-mile-wide meteorite impact crater in Quebec’s Côte-Nord region. Joël Lapointe discovered the site, now named Uhackatik, while planning a camping trip. Western University planetary geologist Gordon Osinski subsequently visited the site in 2025, confirming the presence of shock metamorphic effects consistent with a 390-million-year-old impact event.
Discovery of the Uhackatik Crater
The discovery began with a crowdsourced report on the Impact Earth website, a platform managed by Western University in Ontario. After Lapointe flagged the unusual terrain near Lake Marsal, Osinski led an expedition to verify the site. According to Osinski, the crater measures roughly 25 kilometers (15 miles) in diameter. This makes it one of the largest impact structures discovered in recent years. The last discovery of that scale was the approximately 31-km (19-mile) Hiawatha structure, also possibly a crater, spotted in Greenland in 2018.
Did you know? The Uhackatik crater’s name was selected with the formal approval of the Innu Council of Ekuanitshit, as the site is located within their traditional ancestral lands.
Evidence of Meteorite Impact
Field research at the site provided physical evidence of a high-energy impact. Osinski reported finding “impact melt rocks,” which are formed when rock is liquefied by the heat of a collision before cooling and crystallizing. The team also identified “shatter cones”—branching, conical fracture patterns in rock layers caused by the intense pressure of a shockwave. While these findings are currently undergoing further microscopic analysis to confirm the presence of high-temperature mineral deformation, the team plans to present their data at the 88th Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical Society in Frankfurt this August.
Connecting Canadian Craters to Lunar Exploration
Geologists often use terrestrial craters as analogs to understand the lunar surface, as Earth’s weather and tectonic activity make ancient impact sites rare. Osinski draws a direct comparison between Uhackatik and the Kamestastin crater in Labrador. Kamestastin serves as a training ground for astronauts, including those on the Artemis II mission, because it contains anorthosite—the same mineral prevalent at the moon’s south pole.
In 2023, astronauts Jeremy Hansen, Christina Koch, and Jenni Gibbons conducted field training at Kamestastin alongside Osinski to prepare for lunar operations. Osinski continues to support NASA’s Artemis program, with plans to assist geology teams for the upcoming Artemis 4 and 5 missions, which are scheduled to land on the moon as early as 2028.
FAQ: Understanding Impact Craters
How do scientists confirm a crater is real?
Researchers look for “shock metamorphic effects,” which include microscopic deformation of minerals like quartz and the presence of shatter cones or impact melt rocks that cannot be produced by volcanic activity.
Why is the Uhackatik discovery significant?
Finding a 390-million-year-old crater that is well-preserved is rare. It provides a valuable template for planetary scientists to understand how impacts shape the surfaces of other rocky bodies like the moon and Mars.
Is the research peer-reviewed?
The findings are currently in the analysis phase and are scheduled for presentation at the 88th Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical Society.
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