Australians were left in awe after an "out of this world" phenomenon illuminated the sky early on Mother's Day.
Early risers from Perth to the Goldfields experienced a spectacular celestial event yesterday morning when a mysterious green light illuminated the sky just before 6 a.m. Experts at the Perth Observatory recorded the phenomenon using surveillance cameras and suggest it was likely a "small meteor." A Kalgoorlie resident managed to capture this stunning sight on video while prospecting in the outback, sharing it on social media.
Early risers from Perth to the Goldfields experienced an extraordinary celestial event yesterday morning when a mysterious green light illuminated the sky just before 6 a.m. Experts at the Perth Observatory captured the phenomenon on surveillance cameras and believe it was likely a "small meteor."
Early risers from Perth to the Goldfields experienced an extraordinary celestial event yesterday morning when a mysterious green light illuminated the sky just before 6 a.m. Experts at the Perth Observatory captured the phenomenon on surveillance cameras and believe it was likely a "small meteor."
A man from Kalgoorlie recorded the stunning display while prospecting in the outback, sharing the footage on social media. Australians were left in awe of the spectacle. In the video, as he scans the bushland with his camera, he remarks, “It’s Mother’s Day; we should start coming out here a bit later because it’s 6 a.m. and still dark.” Suddenly, he excitedly exclaims, “Look, look, meteor!” as a bright light streaks across the sky. “What a sight, wow,” he adds, marveling at the meteor's brilliant green trail.
Matthew Woods from Perth Observatory informed the ABC that the meteor likely entered the atmosphere over the central wheatbelt, although its exact landing location remains uncertain. "It’s probably an iron meteor that has been orbiting in the inner solar system," he explained. Mr. Woods added that the meteor would have heated up due to the friction generated during its passage through the atmosphere.
Matthew Woods from Perth Observatory informed the ABC that the meteor likely entered the atmosphere over the central wheatbelt, although its exact landing location remains uncertain. "It’s probably an iron meteor that has been orbiting in the inner solar system," he explained. Mr. Woods added that the meteor would have heated up due to the friction generated during its passage through the atmosphere.
"And that's where you can see that beautiful green and orange glow," he remarked. He estimates the meteor's size to range from that of a cricket ball to a basketball. Amazed witnesses flocked to social media to share their experiences of a "fireball" streaking across the sky. "I've never seen anything like it," said one truck driver. "I spotted it in Mandurah, looking east. It had a bright green tail and an orange fireball that seemed to explode," recounted one woman.
"I spotted it from Mt Magnet, WA, around 6 a.m. It was so large and bright that I initially mistook it for the moon until it started to move," another observer shared. Mr. Woods noted that seeing a fireball in the sky is uncommon due to the fact that 70 percent of the Earth is covered by ocean. "The Earth is struck by approximately 100 tonnes of material each year, so most of these bright occurrences happen over the ocean or while we’re asleep." Experts are still trying to determine where it landed, but they described the event as "a delightful surprise for Mother's Day."
