In 2024, amateur astronomer Joël Lapointe stumbled upon a suspicious pit while using Google Maps to plan a camping trip in Quebec's Côte-Nord region.Researchers later confirmed it as a previously unidentified meteor crater dating back 390 million years, with a diameter of 25 kilometers.

Led by planetary geologist Gordon Osinski, a team conducted a challenging field expedition to the site, overcoming rugged terrain and logistical hurdles like landing 50 meters offshore.

They discovered impact melt rock formed by extreme temperatures and pressures from the meteor strike, as well as shatter cones—unique geological features found only in impact craters or nuclear test sites.The crater's age, while not exceptionally rare in geological terms, highlights Earth's ongoing surprises.

Lapointe, who initially thought it might be a natural formation, expressed pride in his discovery, which was validated by experts and named Uhackatik in consultation with the Innu Council of Ekuanitshit.The find underscores how public observations can contribute to scientific research, even outside traditional expertise.