Hidden In Plain View? Man Discovers Giant Meteor Crater Older Than Dinosaurs On Google Maps

Hidden In Plain View? Man Discovers Giant Meteor Crater Older Than Dinosaurs On Google Maps

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Last Updated: July 20, 2026, 17:04 IST

After checking crater databases and finding no record of the site, Lapointe contacted experts.

The meteor crater has been named Uhackatik. (Image: X)

In a stunning discovery that sheds new light on Earth’s ancient history, an amateur astronomer spotted a massive circular depression on Google Maps that later turned out to be a meteor crater, dating back to a time before dinosaurs existed.

The astronomer, Joël Lapointe, stumbled upon the unexpected discovery in 2023 while planning a summer camping trip through Quebec, located in eastern Canada. As he mapped forest roads in the province’s remote north, he noticed a perfectly circular depression roughly 100 kilometres north of the town of Magpie.

Mysterious Pit Spotted On Google Maps

The unusual formation immediately caught the attention of Lapointe, who has long been fascinated by space and meteorites. “For an amateur astronomer who loves to connect with space and loves meteorites, it was just amazing," he later recalled, according to CTV News.

Initially, however, Lapointe dismissed the possibility that he had found anything significant. “I told myself, ‘You haven’t discovered anything, Joël, it’s not possible, they must already know about this,’" he said. But after checking crater databases and finding no record of the site, he contacted experts.

After several attempts, researchers at a French scientific centre agreed to investigate the mysterious structure. Their interest eventually drew Gordon Osinski, an earth sciences professor at Western University in Ontario and an expert on impact craters. Though skeptical at first, Osinski and fellow researchers travelled by float plane to the remote site in 2025.

390-Million-Year-Old Meteor Crater Buried In Canada’s Forests

“We didn’t really know what to expect, where we could land to get to shore and where we could set up camp. So it was going into the unknown, which I enjoy, a bit of an adventure," Osinski said.

Field studies uncovered shatter cones and impact-melt rocks—features created by the extreme pressure and heat of meteorite strikes. The evidence confirmed that the formation was a meteor crater about 25 kilometres wide and approximately 390 million years old.

Named Uhackatik in consultation with the Ekuanitshit Innu council, the crater became Canada’s first newly identified impact crater since 2010. “At that point, I was over the moon, because it was real," Lapointe said.

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Key Questions Answered Could more ancient craters be hidden on Earth? Yes, more ancient craters may be hidden on Earth. An amateur astronomer discovered a 390-million-year-old meteor crater in Quebec, Canada, using Google Maps. This crater, named Uhackatik, is approximately 25 kilometers wide or 15.5 miles wide.

About the Author Manisha Roy Manisha Roy is a Senior Sub-Editor at News18.com's general desk. She comes with an experience of over 5 years in media industry. She covers politics and other hard news. She can be contacted at Manish... Read More

Location : Canada

First Published: July 20, 2026, 17:04 IST

News world Hidden In Plain View? Man Discovers Giant Meteor Crater Older Than Dinosaurs On Google Maps

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