Fireball Over Australia!
On Aug. 28, 2018, a meteor lit up the night sky over Perth in western Australia in a brilliant fireball. See photos of the fireball from eyewitnesses across Perth, courtesy of the iconic Perth Observatory. This image was captured by skywatcher Allen Coxe. See videos of the fireball here! This view of the fireball comes from Curtin University's Northam Observatory. See more photos of the fireball here.
Fiery Ball of Light
Astronomers weren't the only ones to spot the fireball over Western Australia. Many witnesses saw the meteor while driving, with their dash cameras recording the sight. This image was captured by skywatcher Allen Coxe.
Big and Bright
The meteor over Australia was around 1.5 feet (0.5 meters) at the time of entry. This view was captured by Bagus Sugiono.
How It Works
The glow see from Earth was caused by friction between the object and Earth's atmosphere. That friction melted the outer layers of the meteor, producing the bright glow. This view was captured by Bagus Sugiono.
Speeding Through Space
Upon entering the atmosphere, the meteor was traveling a little over 9.e miles per second (15 kms per second). This view was captured by BeJay Walker.
Widely Observed
At the time of the event, the Perth Observatory was notified by dozens of distressed people who witnessed the event. This view was captured by BeJay Walker, one of many who sent videos of the fireball in to the observatory.
Investigation Begins
This dash camera view was provided by FuShan Lee. The Perth fireball prompted Curtin University's Fireballs In The Sky team to search near the town of York, east of Perth, for evidence of the meteor hitting the ground.
Caught in the Act
This dash camera view of the fireball was captured by Lance and Matt Boston. The Perth Observatory has a camera network around Perth and Northam. The system captured images of the meteor.
Using Tech to Connect
This Perth fireball view comes from Ravia Karia. The Fireballs In The Sky team also released a mobile app and almost two dozen people reported the Perth meteor through that app.
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