A suspected meteor lit up Gippsland on Sunday afternoon.
The one witnessed by this reporter in the Victorian coastal town of Inverloch on Sunday afternoon was no exception. Its blinding white head, followed by a yellow tail, appeared in the sky for two spectacular seconds, and then disappeared behind bushland.
Although the meteor appeared close by, it was likely 80km above the Earth, meaning it could be seen in multiple towns over much of the sprawling Gippsland region and even in outer Melbourne. Reports suggest it may have hit the ocean or the ground near the holiday town of Lakes Entrance, over 200km northeast from Inverloch. Associate Professor Michael Brown, an astronomer at Monash University, explained it's hard for witnesses to determine how close meteors are.
