Very bright fireball, sonic boom over Auckland, New Zealand

Bright fireball New Zealand june 3 2023 benjamin pak

A bright fireball followed by a sonic boom was seen over North Island, New Zealand at 10:42 UTC (22:42 LT) on June 3, 2023.

The International Meteor Organization (IMO) received 19 reports from Auckland, Northland and Waikato, and 2 videos.

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,” Scott told NZ Herald.

“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.”

north island new zealand fireball trajectory june 3 2023
New Zealand fireball trajectory – June 3, 2023. Credit: IMO

One of the witnesses described the event as a huge white ball flash heading north across the sky.

Others said it was a ‘massive meteorite’… a beautiful sighting that lasted 10 to 30 seconds, with very bright white light, brighter than the moon followed by a long yellow tail and a small explosion before disappearing.

YouTube video
YouTube video

References:

1 Fireball event 2023 – 2882 – IMO – June 3, 2023

2 Meteor triggers bright flashes and sonic booms as it travels across North Island skies – NZ Herald – June 4, 2023

Featured image credit: Benjamin Pak

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