[meteorite-list] Meteor Reported in Australia

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Wed Jun 30 13:35:34 2004
Message-ID: <200406301735.KAA29700_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200406/s1143829.htm]

Meteorite reported in southern WA
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
June 30, 2004

The Perth Observatory says it has had reports a meteor has crashed
near Walpole in Western Australia's south.

Witnesses say they saw a large, fiery object zigzagging through the
sky at about 5:30pm yesterday.

The witnesses say the object left a trail of thick smoke and then
they heard a bang.

The observatory says it appears the object was travelling somewhere
between Perth and Albany in a south-south easterly direction.

Walpole resident Heather Burton was in her backyard when she saw the
object.

She says it was unlike a normal shooting star.

"A shooting star usually just goes straight across or straight down
- this one had these gradual zigzags just coming down," she said.

Alex Bevan from the WA Museum says the reports indicate the
sightings were the result of a fireball generated by a meteorite.

"We're certainly picking up reports of a bright fireball and sonic
phenomena associated - I'm absolutely sure - with the fall of a
meteorite," Dr Bevan said.

Dr Bevan says it will be difficult to find where the meteorite landed.

"Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be as many observations, so
actually pinning down where the object landed might be a bit
difficult and in that area, the vegetation might mean searching for
it would be difficult," he said.
Received on Wed 30 Jun 2004 01:35:21 PM PDT