Huge meteor lights up major city's skies
Social media was flooded with reports from residents in Victoria's west between Ballarat and Bendigo after a large fireball in the sky before hearing a thunderous bang as it crashed to earth.
A Melbourne resident who was driving on the Monash Fwy said they thought the meteor was 'going to hit the road'.
On Bendigo and Ballarat community Facebook pages, residents reported feeling a 'sonic boom' that 'shook the whole house'.
Others claimed the impact of the meteor was so intense they thought it was a 'small earthquake'.
'Saw it in Ballarat,' a witness wrote online.
'It was so bright, an orange glow then faded to nothing, looked like it was going so fast!' The light took many people by surprise. X Credit: X
While it is yet to be confirmed, the meteor is likely unrelated to the Perseid meteor shower, which is anticipated to light up the skies between July 17 to August 2, with peak activity expected between August 12-13.
Dubbed the 'best meteor shower of the year' by experts, the Perseid meteor shower occurs annually as Earth passes through a trail of space dust left behind by comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle.
However, the best views to catch a glimpse are from the Northern Hemisphere, meaning Australians are likely to miss out on the epic light show.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News AU
a day ago
- Sky News AU
‘Sonic boom': Huge meteor lights up Victorian skies
Residents across western Victoria have reported up a meteor lighting up the night sky before crashing in the state's west. Social media was flooded with reports from residents in Victoria's west between Ballarat and Bendigo after a large fireball in the sky before hearing a thunderous bang as it crashed to earth. A Melbourne resident who was driving on the Monash Fwy said they thought the meteor was 'going to hit the road'. On Bendigo and Ballarat community Facebook pages, residents reported feeling a 'sonic boom' that 'shook the whole house'. Others claimed the impact of the meteor was so intense they thought it was a 'small earthquake'. 'Saw it in Ballarat,' a witness wrote online. 'It was so bright, an orange glow then faded to nothing, looked like it was going so fast!' While it is yet to be confirmed, the meteor is likely unrelated to the Perseid meteor shower, which is anticipated to light up the skies between July 17 to August 2, with peak activity expected between August 12-13. Dubbed the 'best meteor shower of the year' by experts, the Perseid meteor shower occurs annually as Earth passes through a trail of space dust left behind by comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle. However, the best views to catch a glimpse are from the Northern Hemisphere, meaning Australians are likely to miss out on the epic light show. Originally published as 'Sonic boom': Huge meteor lights up Victorian skies
Perth Now
a day ago
- Perth Now
Huge meteor lights up major city's skies
Residents across western Victoria have reported up a meteor lighting up the night sky before crashing in the state's west. Social media was flooded with reports from residents in Victoria's west between Ballarat and Bendigo after a large fireball in the sky before hearing a thunderous bang as it crashed to earth. A Melbourne resident who was driving on the Monash Fwy said they thought the meteor was 'going to hit the road'. On Bendigo and Ballarat community Facebook pages, residents reported feeling a 'sonic boom' that 'shook the whole house'. Others claimed the impact of the meteor was so intense they thought it was a 'small earthquake'. 'Saw it in Ballarat,' a witness wrote online. 'It was so bright, an orange glow then faded to nothing, looked like it was going so fast!' The light took many people by surprise. X Credit: X While it is yet to be confirmed, the meteor is likely unrelated to the Perseid meteor shower, which is anticipated to light up the skies between July 17 to August 2, with peak activity expected between August 12-13. Dubbed the 'best meteor shower of the year' by experts, the Perseid meteor shower occurs annually as Earth passes through a trail of space dust left behind by comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle. However, the best views to catch a glimpse are from the Northern Hemisphere, meaning Australians are likely to miss out on the epic light show.
Sydney Morning Herald
a day ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Social media lights up with reports of Victorian meteorite crash
Victorians reported a meteorite crash landing on Sunday night just before 8pm. Social media was filled with people between Ballarat and Bendigo along with others in Melbourne's outer western suburbs reporting the sight of a fireball in the night sky before hearing and feeling its impact when it landed. Residents around Melbourne also claimed to have seen a flash in the sky and some in the north-west said they felt the ground shake. Community pages in Daylesford and Bendigo also had residents mentioning the sightings. The Perseid meteor shower is expected to peak on Wednesday and Thursday, so astronomers were expecting to see activity in Australian skies.
