Observers have reported coloured flashes in the sky that turn night to daylight, multiple explosions, and unusual crackling and thundering sounds both before and after the sighting. Near the actual fall, the sound of fragments breaking off the stone has been heard, as has the whistling of the falling stone and the thud of impact. On rare occasions, meteorite falls have caused damage or injury, but none of the meteorites recorded in Canada have done so. In the case of most Canadian meteorites, the finder has either reported the meteorite to the local museum or university, or announced it to the local press whose report was followed up by scientists who then obtained it for study. It is not uncommon, however, for meteorites to go unreported for years, the finder being either unaware of its celestial origin or more interested in its value as a living room curio than a scientific specimen.
Iron meteorites make quite effective door- stops.
Following this original analysis, portions of the specimen may be removed and passed on to other institutions for additional study. As a result, fragments of one meteorite are often found in several collections around the world. Over the years, meteorite finds have become more and more frequent. This is due most likely to an increasing awareness of their importance throughout an increasingly populated globe. As many as 50 meteorites a year now get reported, so a single occurrence is not nearly as newsworthy as it once was.