Stock image
An astronomer says a
loud bang heard in Rolleston and a red streak seen in the sky over Whanganui at the same time were possibly from a meteorite entering Earth's atmosphere. Retired astronomer Peter Cottrell said it was possible the red streak and loud explosions late Saturday could be from a meteorite or space junk.
"It's possible to get a sonic boom from something coming through the atmosphere at high speed.
"It's a sonic boom because it is travelling faster than the speed of sound."
The red flash seen in Whanganui could have been the meteorite burning up in the atmosphere.
"As soon as it hits the atmosphere there's a lot of friction and friction creates heat and heat creates light as well."
Security guard Nick O'Leary, who was on duty at Whanganui Hospital, said he saw a red streak for a split second just after 11.30pm.
At the same time several residents in the town of Rolleston, Canterbury, reported loud explosions in the area.
Police were unable to identify the source.
Cottrell said the loud bang, or sonic boom, heard in Rolleston would have followed the sighting in Whanganui, Cottrell said.
If it had not burned up completely, finding the meteorite would be challenging. It could be as small as the size of a pebble, but would be dense and heavy.
Cottrell said it was fairly common for meteorites to enter Earth's atmosphere.
Comment: This is the meteor's reported trajectory over Cyprus. In the capital Nicosia, an explosion was heard 2.5 minutes after the fireball was seen: