While specializing in public astronomy education and science outreach, the Planétarium team is also engaged in several research areas, including the study of meteorites.
The Planétarium’s signature collection
The Planétarium is dedicated to the only natural extraterrestrial objects we can collect—meteorites. With more than 562 fragments from 248 different meteorites, its collection is the largest in Québec.
A meteorite is a solid object from space that survives its passage through Earth’s atmosphere and lands on the ground. Certain characteristics make it possible to identify a meteorite.
Our collection stands out compared to those of other natural history museums due to the rarity, market value, and scientific importance of known meteorites. It represents both an invaluable heritage—used to share knowledge—and an important research resource for the scientific community in Québec and around the world.
It includes many remarkable specimens, notable for their history, composition, and origin. In particular, it holds two meteorites that are unique in the world: the Penouille meteorite and the Chibougamau meteorite.
The Penouille meteorite
In the summer of 1984, the Penouille iron meteorite was discovered by Christian Couture, an 11-year-old boy on vacation with his family in Gaspésie. It was the stone’s magnetism and density that sparked the curiosity of the young collector.
Meteorites that are found by chance—without their fall being observed—are most often metallic. The surface of these objects is very different from that of terrestrial rocks.
Christian Couture kept the meteorite for about ten years. After the media attention surrounding the fall of the Saint-Robert meteorite in 1994, he decided to have it analyzed. He brought it to the Montréal Planétarium to get an expert opinion and learn how to proceed.
Astronomers quickly identified the stone as a meteorite, and it was sent to the Geological Survey of Canada for a full analysis. The 21-year-old then sold his meteorite to the Planétarium.
The Chibougamau meteorite
The Chibougamau meteorite was found by an American mining prospector in the Nord-du-Québec region. Much mystery surrounds the discovery of this iron meteorite—even the year it was found, somewhere between 1973 and 1993, remains uncertain.
In 1996, the Planétarium acquired all 10 known fragments of the Chibougamau meteorite from a Swiss institution.
Today, Canadian meteorites are protected under the Cultural Property Export and Import Act. A meteorite found in Canada cannot be taken out of the country without a valid export permit. This law, which has applied to meteorite exports since 1985, is designed to protect Canada’s cultural heritage.
What do meteorites teach us?
The study of meteorites helps us understand how planets in the solar system, including Earth, formed. It also deepens our knowledge of the processes that led to the emergence and development of life on our planet.
The Planétarium team has always aimed to ensure its collection represents the various classes of meteorites—stony, iron, and stony-iron—that reflect different stages in the formation of our solar system. Meteorites from every continent are gathered here.
The collection includes both whole meteorites and specimens that have been sliced or prepared as thin sections for microscopic study. The museum aims to acquire fragments of at least 100 grams, which are easier to display.
We are especially interested in meteorites whose falls have been observed, as this allows us to trace their origins. These specimens also tend to be better documented.
The Planétarium also collects tectites, which are glass fragments of earth material that have been melted by giant meteorite impact. Meteorites represent the core of the collection, and 40 tectites are added to it.
The meteorites research team and DOMe project at the Planétarium
- Olivier Hernandez, Ph.D., Director, Astrophysicist
- Auriane Egal, astrophysicist
- Jonathan Gagné, astrophysicist
- Mathieu Forcier, technician
- Patrick Cournoyer, technicien
- Patrick Geoffroy, technicien