Perth Observatory’s Matt Woods confirmed it
© WA PolicePerth Observatory’s Matt Woods confirmed it was a meteor known as a bolide — French for missile. Appearing as a fireball in the sky, it was likely a space rock the size of a cricket ball or slightly larger plunging towards earth that burned up high in Earth’s atmosphere, before it could hit.
Two of Roebourne's finest have been left gobsmacked after their night on the beat was interrupted by a meteor.

Police bodycam vision captured the fireball lighting up the Pilbara sky, shocking the officers who were talking with a local at the time.

"Did you see that, did you see that?" says one.

"Oh wow! That was a big flash I thought that was a torch. Make a wish, quick, make a wish," says a female officer who has her back turned when the meteor first lights up the sky.


The sighting prompted police on social media to launch a joke poll, asking: "Is this: a) a shooting star, b) UFO, c) Jeff Bezos or other billionaire? Either way it's out of this world."

Perth Observatory's Matt Woods confirmed it was a meteor known as a bolide — French for missile.

Appearing as a fireball in the sky, it was likely a space rock the size of a cricket ball or slightly larger plunging towards earth that burned up high in Earth's atmosphere before it could hit.

The Pilbara enjoyed a similar astronomical show in June last year when a green-hued meteor was caught on film in Karratha grazing the atmosphere before bouncing back into space.

That meteor was estimated to be no bigger than a pebble and was probably travelling between 16-50km per second.

"So that's like going from the Perth Hills to the CBD in a second," Mr Woods said at the time.

Mr Woods said hundreds of tonnes of space rubble entered Earth's atmosphere every year but light pollution in the cities, and with water covering 70 per cent of the globe, meant it often went unseen.

"You have to be in the right place, right time to see one," he said. "I feel for the police officer because ... Murphy's Law is that you're back will be turned when they (streak across the sky)."

Mr Woods said now was a good time to be looking to the stars. On Thursday, amateur astronomers would be able to see Mars and the star Regulus with just a pair of binoculars or a small telescope from 6.30pm.