Fireballs may be from Perseid meteor shower

4.00pm

Fireballs reportedly seen in New Zealand skies early today are thought to possibly be from the Perseid meteor shower.

Police said they had reports of sightings, some by pilots, of a fireball over the lower North Island about 2.30am today, while Auckland Stardome Observatory education officer Jennie McCormick said a fireball had been reported over Auckland between 4am and 6am. Other reports came from the Waikato.

Ms McCormick thought part of the reason for the rash of reports could be particularly good weather encouraging people to be outside early.

The sightings could be something to do with the Perseid meteor shower, associated with the Comet Swift-Tuttle, she said.

Meteors from the shower would be entering the atmosphere between now and August 22, peaking around August 12. People looking towards the northeast low down in the sky could have a chance of seeing a meteor.

If the fireballs had not been from the meteor shower it was possible people had seen a piece of space debris, ablaze as it entered the atmosphere, Ms McCormick said.

She had heard reports of the lower North Island fireball being seen entering the sea northeast of Cape Palliser in southern Wairarapa, but said it was hard to judge where they went.

The police central communications centre said the fireball over the lower North Island had been seen by pilots from several aircraft.

It had been described as quite bright, white and green, breaking up as it crossed the lower North Island, a spokesman said.

Police had received five reports from people who had seen the meteor from Hawke's Bay to the upper South Island.

There was also a report of a meteorite in Waitakere City around 6.35am.

Alan Barlow, a 32-year-old IT worker from Auckland, said he was driving east on Hobsonville Rd when he saw a bright object about the size of a softball cross the sky in front of him.

"It was probably a thousand feet high, and had a tail about 20-feet long that was a bright luminous green."

Mr Barlow said the meteorite was visible for 5-8 seconds, and he presumed it had landed in the Hobsonville air force base.

"I was keen to pull over and have a look for it, but figured that would probably be a waste of time - and I had to get to work."

Meteors which entered the atmosphere only became described as meteorites once they were found on the ground.

- NZPA