CCTV footage uncovered the extraordinary occurrence of a bright flash of light followed by a loud bang heard in Melbourne, Australia’s northeast overnight. The video captures a resident of Doreen in his driveway beside his car just before 9 p.m. Moments later, a sudden burst of light followed by an explosive sound occurs. The incident prompted residents from nearby areas such as Balwyn and Doncaster to turn to social media in search of answers.
Locals from Doreen who appeared on Sunrise Thursday morning speculated that the noise may have resulted from a meteorite. Brad Tucker, an astronomer from the Australian National University, explained to 3AW that the sound was likely caused by the fragmentation of an asteroid, possibly the size of a basketball. He further added that the flashes witnessed by many people indicated that it was probably a meteor.
Tucker clarified that it was not unusual for only a small portion of the city to have observed the asteroid and heard the sonic boom, as the phenomenon tends to be localized depending on the size of the asteroid. He estimated that the asteroid in question was approximately 4 to 16 inches wide, similar to the size of a basketball. Fragments of the asteroid may have either disintegrated upon entry into the atmosphere or made contact with Earth.
According to Tucker, smaller asteroids are more challenging to detect. While scientists are primarily concerned about larger ones, he stated the likelihood of an asteroid comparable in size to the one that wiped out the dinosaurs colliding with Earth was extremely low. He did note, however, that asteroids measuring tens of meters in size could release significant amounts of energy in the atmosphere, akin to a nuclear bomb.
Jason Busuttil, a resident of Langwarrin in Melbourne’s outer southeast, reported witnessing the meteor “heading towards the Dandenongs.” He described it as resembling a 100-meter-long train in the sky.
