Meteor Explodes Over Victoria, Potential Meteorites Sought

Witnesses Describe “Fat as Anything” Fireball; Experts Track Potential Landing Site

A spectacular meteor blazed across central Victorian skies Sunday night, captivating residents from Ballarat to Melbourne with its brilliant display. Many described the celestial event as “beautiful,” “sparkly,” and unusually large.

A Fiery Descent

The fireball ignited shortly after 8 p.m., traversing the sky from east to west before a dazzling explosion. Reports from eyewitnesses mentioned not only a bright flash but also a loud boom and even ground vibrations, suggesting a significant event.

On social media, observers shared their experiences. One individual from Ballarat recounted a “huge bright flash speeding directly downwards — I thought it was a local firework fail!”. Another described the meteor as a “shimmering orange, golden, silver with a sparkly tail — fat as anything!”. A user in Reservoir noted, “No sounds, but I did catch what looked like a shooting star! … almost like a meteor with a tail.”

Sonic Boom Hints at Ground Impact

Associate Professor **Michael Brown** from Monash University’s School of Physics and Astronomy confirmed the object was indeed a meteor, not space debris. “It was coming in too fast and burned up far too quickly than space junk,” he stated.

“If the reports of a sonic boom are accurate, it could mean that parts of the meteor survived the descent. To be able to hear the sonic boom loudly from the ground suggests that quite a big chunk of the meteor was pretty close to the ground. And that possibly means there are chunks of the meteorite that actually made it down to the ground — and optimistically, might be found.”

—Michael Brown, Associate Professor, Monash University

A sonic boom, generated by an object exceeding the speed of sound, indicates that substantial fragments may have reached Earth’s surface. However, **Brown** cautioned that the impact site could be distant from where the sound was perceived.

Search for Meteorite Fragments Underway

The possibility of meteorites reaching the ground has launched a search effort. Professor **Andy Tomkins**, a specialist in Earth and planetary science at Monash University, indicated that researchers are analyzing footage to pinpoint the potential landing zone.

“That was a large meteor that likely ended up with at least one meteorite on the ground. We’re trying to find enough footage today to triangulate the location.”

—Andy Tomkins, Professor, Monash University

Meteorite finds are rare. Victoria has recorded at least 17 meteorite falls, with the most recent discovery in 2015 near Maryborough. That 17kg stone, unearthed with a metal detector, was later identified by the Melbourne Museum and dated to approximately 4.6 billion years old. In comparison, the Chelyabinsk meteor event in Russia in 2013 released an estimated 10 kilotons of energy, shattering windows and injuring over 1,000 people, highlighting the potential impact of such celestial visitors (NASA).