Multiple witnesses from Ballarat, Bendigo, Maryborough, and surrounding towns reported a vivid flash of orange, white, and green light, followed by a loud, concussive boom.
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) received numerous reports, and Geoscience Australia confirmed no seismic activity was detected at the time of the event.
High-quality footage was captured by security cameras, dashcams, and the Pendergast Hut webcam on Mount Buller. The Desert Fireball Network (DFN) is collecting visual data from multiple stations to triangulate the meteor’s trajectory and estimate a potential meteorite fall zone.
Astrophysicist Professor Jonti Horner of the University of Southern Queensland confirmed the object as a fireball, a meteor brighter than Venus.
He noted that the combination of its brightness and the strong sonic boom suggests that fragments could have reached the ground. Amateur astronomer David Finlay estimated the original meteoroid was between 10 cm (4 inches) and 1 m (3.3 feet) in size, with likely fall sites between Bendigo and Ballarat.
Associate Professor Michael Brown of Monash University said the clear audibility of the sonic boom indicated that the meteor descended to unusually low altitudes before disintegration.
Astronomer Perry Vlahos classified the event as sporadic, unrelated to known meteor showers such as the Perseids. DFN planetary geologist Rachel Kirby confirmed that a detailed analysis is underway to determine mass, speed, and possible recovery coordinates.
The blast wave travelled tens of kilometers from the meteor’s path, causing structural vibrations and startling residents across a wide area.
Australia has a long history of meteorite recoveries, including the 1969 Murchison fall, which yielded scientifically significant carbonaceous chondrite material. Any recovered fragments from this event could provide new insights into meteoritic composition and the early solar system.