Bright fireball over New Zealand produces sonic boom
A very bright fireball was observed over the skies of New Zealand at around 22:49 local time (09:49 UTC) on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, with reports indicating a sonic boom and fragmentation.
Fireball seen over New Zealand on at 09:48 UTC (22:49 LT) on March 12, 2025. Image credit: David Greig/Fireballs Aotearoa
A very bright fireball streaked over the Bay of Plenty at approximately 09:48 UTC (22:48 NZDT) on March 12 and was visible across the North Island.
Reports came from Auckland, the Bay of Plenty, Hawke’s Bay, Taranaki, Waikato, and Wellington.
David Greig of Fireball Aotearoa—a designated section of the Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand—recorded the event using a Tapo C325WB security camera in rural Ōpōtiki.
“The sky and foreground appear very bright, similar to daytime, due to the moonlight and the camera’s high sensitivity. If the sky had been darker, the fireball would have seemed even brighter,” Fireball Aotearoa stated.
Some observers reported hearing a sonic boom associated with the fireball.
“A low but prolonged boom sound about a minute after the sighting,” said Liam W., an observer from Hawke’s Bay.
The fireball exhibited colors including light blue, green, orange, yellow, and white, with some observers also noting shades of pink. A witness in the Bay of Plenty reported that the fireball appeared to break into two or three pieces.
References:
1 Fireball event 1514-2025 – IMO – March 12, 2025
I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.
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