Queensland meteor fireball
The huge ball of fire was seen in the skies around 1.30pm on Tuesday in areas across Far North Queensland (pictured)
An incredibly rare 'daytime fireball' meteor exploded in the sky above Far North Queensland on Tuesday.

The 'very bright flash of light' was seen in the skies around 1.30pm spanning hundreds of kilometres around Cairns.

It was followed by a sonic boom which left some locals wondering if there had been an earthquake.

David Reneke who has been an astronomer for 50 years told Daily Mail Australia it was extremely rare to ever witness this type of meteor.

'To see one in the daytime is quite a unique event, they're quite rare,' Mr Reneke said.


Comment: Other meteor fireballs observed over Australia recently include:

Meteor fireball caught on camera flying across southern Victoria, Australia (26th Sept. 2019)

'Fireball' meteor lights up skies over Tasmania and Victoria (21st Sept. 2019)


Mr Reneke said the meteors burn through the sky before becoming so hot that they explode.

'These meteors come through the sky and they burn and they melt. When they melt they give off nice bright colours and a sonic boom associated.'

'They get so hot they actually explode.'

He said it was hard to see as it was over in a matter of seconds.

The astronomer said the meteor which streaked through Queensland was 'fairly big' and likely the size of a 'suitcase'.

'You'd be lucky to see two of three in your lifetime. You don't know where it's gonna hit but it's over pretty quickly.'

Dozens of Queensland residents said they witnessed the phenomenon with some suggesting it was a shooting star and others believing it was a thunderstorm.

In the small town of Mailo, in Northern Queensland, one resident said she had heard a 'rumbling of thunder' while another reported a 'sonic boom'.

'We were inside and there was what sounded like a rumble of thunder. It was enough for us to stop what we were doing, look at each other and say "What was that?",' one woman wrote to social media.

'My husband saw a bright light that looked like a shooting star. Driving just outside of Gordonvale,' another said.

Others said the force of the meteor was so strong, they could feel the earth shaking underneath them.

'We thought we were having an earthquake, table was vibrating and we could feel it on the ground,' one man said on Facebook.

'We heard it in Whyanbeel valley north of Mossman and felt the ground shake,' another commented.