Ancient 390-Million-year-old Secret Discovered via Google Maps

WHO:

Yahoo - Joël Lapointe, an amateur astronomer from Canada, discovered the meteorite crater.

Yahoo - Gordon Osinski, a planetary geologist at Canada's Western University, confirmed the discovery.

WHAT:

Yahoo - A 390-million-year-old meteorite crater was discovered on Google Maps.

Yahoo - The crater spans approximately 15.5 miles across.

Yahoo - The findings, including impact melt-rock and shatter cones, will be presented at the 88th Annual Meteoritical Society Meeting in Germany in August.

WHERE:

Yahoo - The meteorite crater is located in Québec, Canada, specifically at coordinates 51°13'57.3"N, 64°39'53.0"W.

WHEN:

Yahoo - Joël Lapointe spotted the geological anomaly in 2023.

Yahoo - The confirmation of the crater's existence occurred in October 2025.

WHY:

Yahoo - Lapointe submitted his finding to experts after it did not appear in any crater databases he searched.

HOW:

Yahoo - Lapointe discovered the crater while plotting a summer hiking trip using Google Maps.

(UPDATED July 22, 2026 22:25 UTC)

A 390-million-year-old meteorite crater has been discovered on Google Maps by Joël Lapointe, an amateur astronomer from Canada, and the finding was confirmed by Gordon Osinski, a planetary geologist at Canada's Western University. The crater, which spans approximately 15.5 miles across, is located in Québec at specific coordinates and features impact melt-rock and shatter cones, with these findings set to be presented at the 88th Annual Meteoritical Society Meeting in Germany this August. Lapointe initially spotted the geological anomaly while planning a summer hiking trip in 2023 and submitted his discovery to experts after it was not listed in any crater databases he searched.