South Australian Museum scientists have begun investigating a possible meteorite impact on a moving vehicle in the State’s north.
The unimaginably unlikely incident has sparked nation-wide media coverage.
Whyalla vet Andrew Melville-Smith and his wife Jo had just picked up a brand new Tesla Y from the dealership in Adelaide and were driving home along the Augusta Highway about 9pm on 19 October when the vehicle was struck.
Andrew (above pointing out the damage to his car) said the impact to the Tesla’s windscreen was terrifying and could have killed the couple if the car wasn’t self-driving at the time.
“I was out of it,” he said of the moments after the impact. “It was extremely violent and we were blasted by high-speed glass shards.
“I thought we’d crashed. The cabin was full of smoke.
“I wiped the glass away and saw the car was still driving – If I’d been driving, we would have gone off the road.”
Andrew limped the vehicle home to Whyalla and eventually notified the South Australian Museum of the possible meteorite strike when he’d ruled out other possibilities.
He is making the windscreen available to Museum Minerals and Meteorites Collection Manager Dr Kieran Meaney, when it is replaced.
Dr Meaney was initially sceptical because the odds of a meteorite strike on a moving vehicle were so immeasurably low.
“We get a lot of meteorite inquiries at the Museum and most of the time they turn out to be a rock from earth that is doing a very good impersonation of a meteorite,” Dr Meaney said.
“So, my initial thought was, nah, there's no way this is going to be the real deal.
“And then once I looked at all the details and the glass of his windscreen seems to have melted a little bit, and the acrylic layers in the glass have discolouration, almost like they've been burnt.
“It was certainly hit by something and it was something hot, and we don't have another good explanation for what else it could have been.”
Andrew said he contacted the Museum because it was the only place that had the expertise to confirm if it was in fact a meteorite strike.
Under South Australian law, all meteorites have to also be turned over to the museum for examination and safekeeping.
“Whatever it was, it was travelling really fast and was really hot,” Andrew said. “I’ve had a few rocks hit the windscreen in the past but they were nothing like this.
“So far, nobody’s come up with another plausible explanation.”
Dr Meaney said it will take some time to analyse the windscreen.
If that analysis comes back positive, the Museum will likely organise a field trip to try and find it.
Find out more about the Museum’s meteorite collection and visit Level 3 of the Museum to see our incredible collection on display.
