While a fascinating new discovery can be out of this world, it’s best to ensure the facts are right before reporting on it. A “cosmic meteorite” reported on a beach in Ireland actually turned out to be a hole that was dug by beachgoers during a dry spell.
A “mysterious hole on the beach causing a stir in Dublin” that was discovered on Portmarnock beach was mistaken for a meteorite crater. The crater was reported on by Virgin Media News, with one of their reporters saying: “It’s a huge mysterious crater that looks out of this world, but is it? The hole soon caught the attention of passersby, many hoping what they’re witnessing is a once in a lifetime cosmic event.”
A local astrophysics enthusiast, Dave Kennedy, was interviewed by the news station and said he was “certain” that a rock inside the hole was an asteroid that “came from above.” He said: “As you can tell here, there’s a scorch mark on this side here, so that would have been at the angle that it came down at.
“It is weighty. I’m not sure of its composition but we’re definitely going to have to find out. Only about a month ago I was watching a documentary from NASA on exactly what you’re looking at behind you, so when I looked at it and saw how uniform it is, I knew immediately that what I was looking at is an impact site.”
It turns out three men, Charlie Wallace, Peter McEvoy, and Chris Flood, actually dug the hole with three green plastic shovels. To make up for the mistake, Virgin Media News has since reported that the incredible “mystery has been solved.”
“The mystery of the hole on a north Dublin beach has apparently been solved – denting the hopes of a local space enthusiast, who had hoped it was the site of a meteor strike,” Virgin Media News posted.
Source: https://twitter.com/VirginMediaNews/status/1702049805407490369