Title: Bizarre Flash of Light in Melbourne Caused by Asteroid, CCTV Footage Reveals
Publication Date: October 19, 2023
Written By: Elena Couper, News.com.au
CCTV footage from Melbourne, Australia has captured the intriguing moment of a flash of light followed by a loud bang that puzzled residents. The incident occurred in the northeast of Melbourne, specifically in the suburb of Doreen.
In the video, a resident can be seen standing in his driveway next to his car just before 9 p.m. Suddenly, a bright flash of light appears, followed by an explosive sound. The bizarre occurrence quickly caught the attention of residents in nearby areas such as Balwyn and Doncaster, who turned to social media for answers.
On Thursday morning, locals from Doreen shared their belief with Sunrise that the noise was caused by a meteorite. Australian National University astronomer, Brad Tucker, supported this theory, explaining that it was likely the result of a basketball-sized asteroid breaking apart.
Tucker further explained, “A bit of an asteroid (probably) broke off, traveled through space … and because it’s traveling so fast when it hits the Earth’s atmosphere, that’s the sonic boom people hear, all this energy being released in the sky.”
According to Tucker, it is not uncommon for such events to be localized and only witnessed by residents in a specific area. The size of the asteroid plays a role in determining how bright the flash and explosion are. Based on the information available, Tucker estimates the asteroid to be between 4 to 16 inches wide, comparable to the size of a basketball.
Fragments of the asteroid would have either burned up upon entering the Earth’s atmosphere or made it down to the surface. Detecting smaller asteroids like this is challenging, as they are harder to track. Tucker emphasized that while scientists are concerned about larger asteroids, the likelihood of an event similar to the one that wiped out the dinosaurs is extremely low. However, even smaller asteroids can release a significant amount of energy in the atmosphere, equivalent to a nuclear bomb.
Eyewitnesses also reported their observations, such as Jason Busuttil from Langwarrin, who claimed to have seen the meteor “heading towards the Dandenongs.” He described it as a train-like object in the sky, approximately 100 meters in length.
The incident has sparked interest and concern among residents and scientists alike, highlighting the ongoing need to monitor and study these celestial events. While the exact cause of the flash and bang has now been explained, the mysterious nature of these cosmic phenomena continues to captivate our curiosity.