Residents in central Victoria were treated to a spectacular sight on Sunday evening when a large meteor streaked across the night sky, producing a bright fireball and a loud sonic boom. The event, captured on camera and reported by dozens of witnesses, occurred around 7.35pm local time.
Saskia Reus-Smit from Fryerstown described seeing the meteor pass "directly over my head, very low, seemed lower than a plane" and noted it was "close enough to see burning definition, like a volcanic rock burning orange". Shortly after, she experienced "a massive boom" that shook her house and the ground visibly.
Terrence Dale from Eildon reported seeing the meteor at 7.35pm, describing it as "low on the horizon and it was blue and red in colour and was extremely long in shape". The Pendergast Hut cam on Mt Buller also captured the meteor at 7.40pm.
Astrophysicist Professor Jonti Horner from the University of Southern Queensland confirmed the sighting was a meteor, classifying it as a "fireball" due to its brightness exceeding that of Venus. He noted that the sonic boom suggested fragments may have reached the ground, though none have been found yet. Horner estimated Australia sees such events five to ten times a year.
