Meteor triggers bright flashes and sonic booms as it travels across North Island skies

A fireball was seen travelling the skies across the top of the North Island on Saturday night, with some people reportedly hearing sonic booms.

Professor James Scott from Otago University’s Department of Geology said he had received quite a few reports of meteor sightings.

“It was seen across the top of the North Island, and captured on a security camera and also one of the fireball cameras,” he said.

The meteor begins to flare. Photo / Vincent

The brightest flash from the meteor. Photo / Vincent

The meteor starts to disintegrate. Photo / Vincent

“There was also a sonic boom heard by several people. There will almost certainly be more security cameras that picked it up but that often takes a few days to show up.”

The WeatherWatch and Fireballs Aotearoa websites were buzzing with comments about the sightings.

Machelien Sherry wrote: “I saw a huge white ball flash across the sky heading north. We were on the Northern Motorway by Greville offramp around 10.45pm.

“Got such a fright that I nearly sent our Uber driver off the road!”

Kanak and Luke reported seeing a “massive meteorite” from their home in Blockhouse Bay.

“It was a beautiful sighting that lasted 10-30 seconds, with very bright white light brighter than the moon followed by a long yellow tail and a small explosion before disappearing,” they said.

“What an experience of a lifetime.”

Scott said preliminary analysis was that it was off the Kaipara Harbour and therefore out to sea.

“So, if it dropped a meteorite, then unfortunately it is not recoverable,” he said.

“But it was a spectacular event nonetheless!”

The Fireballs Aotearoa website can give a rough solution as to where the path was but it has not been updated as at 2.20pm.

“As it is hosted in Europe and the people haven’t ‘verified’ the event,” Scott said.