Latest news with #MatthewWoods
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Bright green fireball in Australian sky identified as 'one hell of a meteor'
May 12 (UPI) -- Astronomy experts in Western Australia said a bright green light that illuminated the early morning sky over the state was actually "one hell of a meteor." Witnesses ranging from Perth to the Goldfields reported seeing a bright light streaking across the sky around 6 a.m. Sunday, and some caught the green and orange fireball on camera. Matthew Woods from Perth Observatory told 9News the fireball was "one hell of a meteor" ranging in size from a cricket ball to a basketball. "That was very nice, nice little surprise for Mother's Day," he said. Woods said the meteor was likely composed of iron that caught fire while entering the atmosphere. "And that's where you're getting to see that lovely green, orange glow," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. He said experts are currently working to try to determine whether any remnants of the meteor made it to earth in the outback.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Bright green fireball in Australian sky identified as 'one hell of a meteor'
May 12 (UPI) -- Astronomy experts in Western Australia said a bright green light that illuminated the early morning sky over the state was actually "one hell of a meteor." Witnesses ranging from Perth to the Goldfields reported seeing a bright light streaking across the sky around 6 a.m. Sunday, and some caught the green and orange fireball on camera. Matthew Woods from Perth Observatory told 9News the fireball was "one hell of a meteor" ranging in size from a cricket ball to a basketball. "That was very nice, nice little surprise for Mother's Day," he said. Woods said the meteor was likely composed of iron that caught fire while entering the atmosphere. "And that's where you're getting to see that lovely green, orange glow," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. He said experts are currently working to try to determine whether any remnants of the meteor made it to earth in the outback.
News.com.au
12-05-2025
- Science
- News.com.au
Mysterious green flash lights up night sky
Early risers from Perth to the Goldfields have had the celestial show of a lifetime after a mysterious green light lit up the sky just before 6am yesterday. Experts from the Perth Observatory were able to capture the light through surveillance cameras and believe it was most likely a 'small meteor'. In a clip shared to social media a Kalgoorlie man captured the incredible sight while out prospecting in the outback. As he pans his camera around the bushland he can be heard saying, 'It's Mother's Day, we've got to start coming out here a bit later because it's 6am and it's dark.' Out of nowhere, he excitedly shouts 'Look, look, meteor' as a bright light burns through the sky. 'What a sight, wow,' he exclaims as the meteor leaves a spectacular green trail behind it. Matthew Woods from Perth Observatory told the ABC that it may have entered the atmosphere over the central wheatbelt but they're not entirely sure where it landed. 'It's most likely an iron meteor that's been orbiting within the inner solar system.' Mr Woods said the meteor would have heated up because of the friction caused when it came through the atmosphere. 'And that's where you're getting to see that lovely green, orange glow,' he said. He estimates the meteor to be anywhere between the size of a cricket ball to the size of a basketball. Stunned witnesses took to social media to report seeing a 'fireball' tear through the sky. 'I've never seen anything like it,' said one truck driver. 'I saw it in Mandurah looking east. A very vibrant green tail with an orange fireball which appeared to explode,' said one woman. 'I saw it from Mt Magnet WA at about 6am. It was so big and bright that I initially thought that it was the moon until it moved,' wrote another. Mr Woods said witnessing a fireball in the sky was rare because the Earth was 70 per cent ocean. 'Earth gets hit by about 100 tonnes of material each year, so most of these really bright ones happen over the ocean or while we sleep.' Experts are still looking to locate the site where it landed but said overall the event was 'a nice Mother's Day surprise.'
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Aussies stunned by ‘fireball' meteor
Residents in Western Australia have been stunned by a 'fireball' meteor that lit up the skies. The bright fireball passed through the skies about 6am on Sunday over the Central Wheatbelt, producing a brilliant yellow flash and a trail of bright green. Witnesses were able to catch a glimpse of the early-morning meteor from Perth to the Goldfields, however, experts are yet to determine where it eventually landed. The Perth Observatory said the astronomical sight was 'most likely an iron meteor' which had been 'orbiting within the inner Solar System'. 'To shine that brightly, the fireball — technically known as a bolide — would have been about the size of a cricket ball to a basketball,' the observatory said online. According to Perth Observatory's Matthew Woods, the meteor would have been travelling between 16 to 60km per second, leaving behind a trail of green as the built-up friction melted. He told 9News it was 'one hell of a meteor'. 'That was very nice … little surprise for Mother's Day,' he said. Online, witnesses were dumbfounded by the 'spectacular' sight, with some believing it was an aeroplane. 'Never seen anything like it,' one person wrote. 'Thought someone was driving at us with high beams on at first,' said another, who watched it pass overhead from Newdegate. A resident from Mt Magnet said they initially thought the 'huge and burning bright orange-red' light was 'the moon until it moved'. Some thought the meteor was the Kosmos 482, a Soviet-era spacecraft that plunged back to earth more than 50 years after its failed launch to Venus. However, Curtin University astrophysicist Steven Tingay told the ABC it was unlikely the fallen spacecraft, which likely landed over the Indian Ocean on Saturday, though European and US agencies are yet to confirm its exact location.
News.com.au
12-05-2025
- Science
- News.com.au
Witnesses stunned as ‘fireball' meteor lights up Perth skies
Residents in Western Australia have been stunned by a 'fireball' meteor that lit up the skies. The bright fireball passed through the skies about 6am on Sunday over the Central Wheatbelt, producing a brilliant yellow flash and a trail of bright green. Witnesses were able to catch a glimpse of the early-morning meteor from Perth to the Goldfields, however, experts are yet to determine where it eventually landed. The Perth Observatory said the astronomical sight was 'most likely an iron meteor' which had been 'orbiting within the inner Solar System'. 'To shine that brightly, the fireball — technically known as a bolide — would have been about the size of a cricket ball to a basketball,' the observatory said online. According to Perth Observatory's Matthew Woods, the meteor would have been travelling between 16 to 60km per second, leaving behind a trail of green as the built-up friction melted. He told 9News it was 'one hell of a meteor'. 'That was very nice … little surprise for Mother's Day,' he said. Online, witnesses were dumbfounded by the 'spectacular' sight, with some believing it was an aeroplane. 'Never seen anything like it,' one person wrote. 'Thought someone was driving at us with high beams on at first,' said another, who watched it pass overhead from Newdegate. A resident from Mt Magnet said they initially thought the 'huge and burning bright orange-red' light was 'the moon until it moved'. Some thought the meteor was the Kosmos 482, a Soviet-era spacecraft that plunged back to earth more than 50 years after its failed launch to Venus. However, Curtin University astrophysicist Steven Tingay told the ABC it was unlikely the fallen spacecraft, which likely landed over the Indian Ocean on Saturday, though European and US agencies are yet to confirm its exact location.
