Astronomers at the University of Western Ontario are asking residents near the Central Ontario town of Parry Sound to help find meteorites that may have recently fallen in the area.

The astronomers have captured rare video of a meteor streaking through the Earth's atmosphere.

They are hoping people in the area can help recover one or more possible meteorites that may have hit the ground.

Associate professor Peter Brown, who specializes in the study of meteors and meteorites, says cameras captured video of a large fireball on Wednesday at 10:59 p.m.

He also says the department has received a number of calls and e-mails from people who saw the bright light in the sky.

Prof. Brown and postdoctoral student Wayne Edwards are now trying to find people who are willing to help search for the fallen meteorites.

"Most meteoroids burn up by the time they hit an altitude of 60 or 70 kilometres from Earth," Dr. Edwards said.

"We tracked this one to an altitude of about 24 kilometres, so we are pretty sure there [is] at least one, and possibly many meteorites, that made it to the ground."

Dr. Edwards said his lab has narrowed the location where the meteorite would have fallen to about 12 square kilometres, and it has created a map to help in the search.

The rock, or rocks, would probably weigh a kilogram or slightly more.

"We would love to find a recovered meteorite on this one, because we have the video and we have the data, and by putting that together with the meteorite, there is a lot to be learned," Dr. Edwards said.