Those that are observed to fall and are recovered shortly thereafter are called meteorite falls. For the majority however, there is no record of their fiery passage through the atmosphere. Those that are found at some later time are called meteorite finds. Both falls and finds are important for scientific research.
Identified meteorites are quite rare.
Fifty have been recovered in Canada. The worldwide total is a few thousand, apart from large numbers recovered in recent years from Antarctica. Other pieces from this meteorite shower, the first known in eastern Canada, have been acquired by museums and universities in Quebec and Ontario. 502, 1996.Often there is confusion about when and where meteorites may fall or be preserved, and about what they are and look like. Often there is confusion about when and where meteorites may fall or be preserved, and about what they are and look like.