# Giant pit discovered by hiker on Google Maps confirmed to be 390 million-year-old meteor impact crater

> **Open Intelligence Dossier** · First detected: 2026-07-16 22:07 UTC · Category: Science

## Executive Summary
A hiker planning a trip via Google Maps discovered a 25km-wide, 390-million-year-old meteorite impact crater in the rugged terrain of Canada.

## Intelligence Brief
A resident of Quebec discovered a massive circular pit while using Google Maps to plan a camping trip. After spotting the unusual feature on the digital mapping service, the discovery was investigated and subsequently confirmed by scientists to be a meteorite impact crater. This geological site, identified as the Uhackatik crater, is located within the rugged terrain of Canada. The structure is described as a giant pit that had remained hidden from formal scientific recognition for a vast period of time. Extensive coverage of this event has been provided by several major outlets, including Live Science, CBC, and CTV News.


Reports from The Times of India and News18 highlight the irony of the site being hidden in plain view until it was noticed by a citizen using consumer software. WION specifically notes the scale of the discovery, reporting that the crater spans 25km in size. Other outlets such as Yahoo News Canada and PetaPixel emphasized the accidental nature of the find, noting that the individual was acting as a camper and hiker rather than a professional geologist. To understand the significance of this find, coverage from Business Today and News18 emphasizes the extreme age of the site. Scientists have confirmed the crater is 390 million years old, which places its origin significantly before the era of the dinosaurs.


The discovery underscores how modern satellite imagery and tools like Google Maps can reveal ancient geological secrets that were previously obscured by the Canadian landscape. This specific site provides a rare window into the planetary history of the region from millions of years ago. Looking forward, the scientific community will likely focus on the Uhackatik crater to better understand ancient impact events. While the current reporting focuses on the discovery and the confirmation of its age, the Planetary Society has begun documenting the site. Future developments will likely involve more detailed geological surveys of the 25km area to analyze the impact and the composition of the crater, as the initial discovery was made via remote mapping rather than on-site field research.

## Multi-Source Evidence Table
| Source Outlet | Headline | Verification URL |
|---|---|---|
| News18 | Hidden In Plain View? Man Discovers Giant Meteor Crater Older Than Dinosaurs On Google Maps | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi7gFBVV95cUxORmVkV21ISEwwNmNMQmJYZWgyMXRUUC1XNUlaNW1qVlh2UG5BaVpQaVpMalppRTFrX29QaUd6YnB1dGhrOUx6aVRFbFMtc0hGQkk3QVZsRGVfRW44b0pnSlhIbzFDMm9ITnBaSEI5enFvYlpydXVNOHhiYXBPN0cybUFwU2pLNm4yQWpRZ1dwd0txUUR5WHMyV2ZGUWFrMkJQV25Tc000X3B3WkJkRlFrRTh1VmFrZkc0YWNyUEF0MUZqMnhjZDlYZGlxcTBiOFNuamVDQVBPRC1ZWGVFcHlOT3hMMmxTWWNRdzl6R2p3?oc=5) |
| The Times of India | A Quebecer noticed a strange circular pit on Google Maps while planning a trip; scientists have now confirmed it is a 390-million-year-old meteorite impact crater | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi0AJBVV95cUxQX2tZUlZZLVI2czFZR3FtQ1VvbWpETTRpQmN5V0EyLUhxc2dFM0w1OUdQUGk1RGY1MFFYeHdBRVJqcTdSWW9NZ2xqcGJwZVhqN3h3VHZtWHRoOG1XTVd3X2x0dmRkU3hUZW4wMk5QZ2Q5TWt0LTVzZzZYZkhUc0diTmJSbUhIdE82OHRWMUdNY2FZbHpjMFpKdG9HZ1ZvRFAtbmtHRFd5SWw4ZWRVMEN2TU9JazlfSTVFY21VX2NidS1QZEt3UE1LUTdRejB2aW9XOWc1ZzJ6Y1VsbGg0Sks0Ym1BTERGVkxHNHNjdUI0cjFVY2oxQTU5VXNVVjJnTTZzcFRfT1Q0U3hZSmlzbnNkdnFlZFJsLS0tdDhNOFdXeWs4TWdyMjYtTmVKSWxzSHViX0J5b0FIUWx3NG81NFFqSUhtUUNuVEdseVdHNk1UVDI?oc=5) |
| Yahoo News Canada | Quebecer discovers 390-million-year-old crater | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMigAFBVV95cUxQYjRoYUNBNHFMdVgySzZud25wN3ZfVWxXaHFtNm0zYzNSTHM3dlBncmw2SU1wUmJwbUpvb0twc1BmcUpDbUdXRVVIcWt2UU1QREZfejlzMkMzZ2w1NXRKck1SbG1hRGs0dkNWanNDeEowbU5ELVNTQVF5UXNjcWIwNg?oc=5) |
| CTV News | Pit found by Quebecer confirmed to be a 390-million-years-old meteorite impact crater | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiwgFBVV95cUxNajFiV1BzejdTNG14LXlfRUJCQWZHMnQ1Vnd3V3Y1VVJidHlOcXVBcEJWbFpmZ0txdGNuZHhxdTBVbzFVTWEyaVlUdUF2M2J5UjJJOW1MaDBzTl9qUk16TEJIc291VnhyYy1CdTB0NDNqdEo4bVBSWHBtN1huRDN1b0JBdHJCMnFubXFrSFNwMUMzN1dvRkNpRUZWVDd6WE44NTh5ZWtRZGdRNmNPbHAxdTI1bjJhblZ5STVJWG1wSEMxdw?oc=5) |
| The Planetary Society | More than one way to make an impact | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMif0FVX3lxTE1Ob0draHp4eXM0S3hYZnVNTTFqNWtfVWVMa2M4STNUdjU5YXB0a1RMaFY4MW5xS3c0VEo0NFNlWE5tQTluajFhaXRMSWlHWHpxelIyQ2tqVS1pTUVZdWVZdnVCX2tMbWx5QXBjc3A1NWM5TEg4WUlaNURnb2NQbnM?oc=5) |
| WION | 25km meteor crater in rugged Canadian terrain remained hidden for 390 million years | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMizAFBVV95cUxPNU5pSUZtbHNqSnVDa0tpSE9nQVBuelRLVnRzbFVrQkVnTjFmWVhUSVpfdFhTM1Y5RkxmX3Q5MUt3cVp6bkRfc095YzVpbm03eUZvdGpMbkJsQm1Yc3pXcVloUzduVkZQVDJFQ0RGYmFwRjVscGg0VFI0dmdNVVdQZXVOaXlMazZLbkRJNkFDYUJDbDhMdGpod1llOF9PcEJnTWxGMjMzd1lhNUJ1WllVN1VMWGNHTk1CZkd2ak5kSThldExNTUFXYnRQd2_SAdIBQVVfeXFMTmtqN2ZNVEFULTVpeV9pOURZdGNGSjNPRkVnUkRfVmRLTVFvdm1VU3lyaktYX1VNYmNGMklZbmQ1cGRmRkZYc0xSQ2JzSnk4V3FXbFNTNjVoRzRfVXBOekQ3ZndSd1diSFE1a0RnVlJfU3RNeldMN3FCVnd5Tlo5WW5iWW9WRXR) |
| PetaPixel | Camper Accidentaly Discovers Ancient Meteor Crater on Google Maps | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMioAFBVV95cUxQTjBDZFpvOU1NUkd2ZDlWNjJxQXdwdkFjbWpDUmotZVRTdmpUT2RGcXMxQ1RJdUdEbkNxMndCRkZnQ183cEZMMENIZXAzdHVPRFVkVnhsRHZNRk1hdE4tUzF1dFFGYlctOW5sYjFudEkxMHRjcExnQS1IS3pmdVNkVmRuaDBHTENxNjRnOGtQQnJnQ2hCaVpnXzZSWmQtdWZm?oc=5) |
| CBC | He saw a pit on Google Maps. It turned out to be a 390-million-year-old meteor crater | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipAFBVV95cUxORmNDNmlFeEhCOFN4a0ZxTmNabHJOeVlfOGtCSVJPV09uYU9iaGFkcHFDSllEbzVDQ2F3MXBxdWxmLXJhQmVKOTlQMjlDZkhEVVI4dWNObjZkX3BaVnowN19MUVhtUVFzN3NScjFGdmxlZXQtVFFzTzJfa2p3SU9HUVFUNlJvRzRfcDUwaC1HbmZVTk9CeGZ6YUxHRWVKSVR0UHMweA?oc=5) |
| The Economic Times | Canada man spots unusual circular pit on Google Maps, scientists say it may be a 390-million-year-old mete | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi6AJBVV95cUxOdDNKRHlpRDFlaHpXSjJUNDBDdUxnck0ybWpIRGllYzhUZWo3a1A4X1pUZFl4M2tOOEhaQ3FDcGJPamdIa2FjeWhaUXpaY2VPUmp3R3czTk9OSVNmR0EzallzbndKcTA3VFJrWlRvak9UanVXdzlScFpleTROZ21DR1pPcmUxRkFaNFBQT0trZnpEbG42dEprYkRSeXp4RERpUFRLUWNEUnZQaHIxb0hQcm1hS3l2cFI4RXZVMGwyeGR0SkhqcEdKZGI4M2VPN2ZVMDRmVlgyM25OREQzUEhpYUpGdXZnZTdTUjZMZXVXMDlIVFNvR0Z1N2lnZ2l6UElSTnVRZ0NqbV8wcC1JbFE1Q1lMcEhGczVCb0ZBYVlFWC1xUGhaRHlQei1pZEhyVVBvNnAxYVMwT0tTN0FMR0hWc3k1aU1WdHI1cVJNdU1Jem1WZ3VYYjM) |
| The Times of India | Canadian man noticed a strange hole on Google Maps while planning a camping trip, and it turned out to be a 390-million-year-old meteor crater | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMixwJBVV95cUxNRVJxQmhsWk84Y0dhdnNkR3BpS0FTUk0tbUw0QzZKall5OThZaGNRbF9FLU1mdVNTZEQxTGxaWC1aenRkd1I0M2FpLVEzYnRoeDBHSUZHYnY1MV9Xb3czRm1NRmVIWFoycE8xeHNPU21ubUUzS1JBRjVmWXFPLVlmRFpZaDVXOHZXTy1hRVUwOWgwN2J0MmxmejZDdEM0Tmp3eW05Rlh6RUExZS1GQ3NjaGlvNUc4amlpRk8xVXdNellMQ2xHeG1nUTlGNlZJdlRmOUFIT0RjTTQ5S2o4N21qaHdFcWlmcXVrV1RvRnljY0c5aS00Q2xvV0R3cG1obnJ3S1BSLXJ4SzZPWEdDdDJQSnh3VFNyVlpFTFdTeE1CSVZaeVJfS0Fpc1FpX01KWl9FRzdBZ2J5MVJaV0pBWVpCUHQ5NHg2MXM?oc=5) |
| Business Today | A man zoomed into Google Maps—and may have uncovered a 390 million year old secret hidden on Earth | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi-wFBVV95cUxOZV9FVTBueUdNYVBzUWVkNzNZRnpWbnc4cGl3dlNYTE43QU1fNVVRS0Z2SFpPTjNCeFRNNVNzNVFLNDBvVVZFdVBPdVA4N2pBM1oyR2RiXzhGd0lCaDcyNUh5dGhLOFB4eTZ6ZXRVakcyY0dvVWhuS05XaFh5RXR3bW52NklMOF9vSk1LYkpSMGJud0tONTBBS05fNVI1bFB4dFh5UEJOVDEtVW9hYUpFTHZKLWNuaWx0WHR3WEViX2J3RjlXVnd6TG93ME5FblRKa3pEZ01fb3BkVjFwY28tdGUzZEVCbzhGUFNaRzMxWDFjNWxCNjdURE9QNA?oc=5) |
| The Planetary Society | Uhackatik crater in Canada | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMic0FVX3lxTE5wSXlDU0c0ZURoTTRhbXNhRi0zRGhYVHlIY3ZDMmRINVFJOTRXeGtoMGYyUTMwejR4ZHkyRDFfVXRLQ0RPNFllQjYtbldMaEE0UzkxYVVaU2J2VjhpenUzeHBSN3hnRlIwQnpIMFlhb016ME0?oc=5) |
| Live Science | Giant pit discovered by hiker on Google Maps confirmed to be 390 million-year-old meteor impact crater | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMinwJBVV95cUxOSXY4d0FJYU84NTk3YjVLaFBPYU0zMnFrSzJSVHpVOFNEendMeWtSOE5UNzNaR1lxR19EZEZSMGFjb244YzFpbFFmdHpoeWlRcGNyamkyR05INnpTZWtEcVFxT3hEODNoM0hkdDNrVnlNX284UDdyczB3NGdUODlITU96eEExbW5WRXBlV0NIRV91cXdPY2ZoSDRGWXFYOWRzSFNKNWg0S2gzWFd0MjMxaDBWeUs2LXRpck9vMUZscFFNNGtpbS0wSm14X1NMeFRyazlZMDB0Z2l5NWJoWjNTdmRDSXc4MnNId2lhaUNoc2F2QUFQUWo2ZVZoLW0yR3puc0pCbkFjQkRSYUZiS3FwQ0NwVUZvX3Rrd3p6bVpvTQ?oc=5) |

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*Canonical Source: https://pulse.byoviral.com/trend/2026-07-16/giant-pit-discovered-by-hiker-on-google-maps-confirmed-to-be-390-million-year*