A bright fireball lit up the night sky over New Zealand’s South Island, followed by a loud sonic boom that startled residents.
The meteoroid entered Earth’s atmosphere near Wanaka around 11 p.m. and burned up over Southland. Experts believe a small piece of the space rock may have landed in the Eyre Mountains.
Fireballs Aotearoa, a group that studies meteorites, received many reports of the event. However, due to cloud cover and limited camera data, they are unsure of the exact landing site. Without better information, they do not plan a full search but are asking the public for sightings.
Many people described the fireball as an incredible sight. One person in Queenstown said their balcony suddenly lit up before hearing the boom two minutes later. Another reported that the sound was so strong it shook a mirror inside their house.
If found, this would be New Zealand’s 11th documented meteorite. Scientists say the rock likely came from the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, meaning it could be over 4.5 billion years old.
