Extract from ABC News
People across Queensland last night caught a rare glimpse of what an astrophysicist says can only have been a meteor.
Key points:
- People across Queensland have caught a rare glimpse of a meteor in the night sky
- An astrophysicist estimates the falling piece of asteroid was up to a metre in size
- Reliable sightings have been reported from Mackay north to Cairns
Sightings are being reported across the state with hundreds of people taking to social media to share videos.
Brad Tucker from the Australian National University (ANU) estimated the meteor was between half a metre and a metre in size and would have been travelling within 100,000 to 150,000 kilometres per hour.
"It's most definitely a meteor," Dr Tucker said.
"The fact that we saw it start from this small thing then getting that big glow and then the sonic boom afterward all point to it being a meteor."
Dr Tucker said there were reliable sightings as far south as Mackay up to Cairns and to the west.
Mark Agius was relaxing on the deck of his Townsville home when the sky suddenly lit up at 9:30pm on Saturday.
"We noticed the light was increasing and thought, OK this is weird, it's like a sunrise," Mr Agius said.
"Then the sky lit up — first white, then green, and when it disappeared over the horizon to the west it had a yellowish hue or tinge to it."
A security camera on the rooftop captured the ball of light which disappeared into the horizon within 10 seconds.
As it fell Mr Agius waited for the ground to rumble.
"I just thought, 'where's the earth-shattering kaboom?'"
Mr Agius caught the spectacle from Mount Louisa.
Just a few suburbs over, Mustafa Al-Hassan noticed a chorus of barking from the neighbourhood dogs in Mount Low.
"I was getting ready to go to sleep and I heard the dogs barking really loudly and that was unusual," Mr Al-Hassan said.
"I got curious and checked the security footage and there it was.
"I've seen a shooting star before but nothing of this size and brightness."
In Croydon, a small town at the base of the Gulf of Carpentaria, residents felt the impact of the meteor.
Wayne Muller was red-clawing just outside of town when it happened.
"I thought someone had let a flare off," he said.
"Then I thought, 'Wow — it has got to be a meteorite.'
"The property we were on, the house shook."
Dr Tucker said meteorites were likely to be on the ground, but would appear as small rocks.
The ABC has contacted the CSIRO for further confirmation.
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