[meteorite-list] Unidentifed Exploding Fireball Lights The Sky In New Zealand

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:06:57 2004
Message-ID: <200210081815.LAA02035_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,2067047a11,00.html

Unidentified 'exploding fireball' lights the sky
The Dominion Post (New Zealand)
02 October 2002

Police from Wellington to Mahia in northern Hawke's Bay were stargazing
tonight, after a deluge of calls reporting an "exploding fireball" in the
sky about 7.30pm.

Senior Sergeant John Fairley of Hastings said several calls were received
about the light and one man went to the station to report it.

"He came running in to the counter saying that he'd seen what he described
as a burning fireball going across the sky and then apparently out to sea."

Others described it as a flashing light, and all reported it heading east.

Police initially feared it was a plane crashing, but Napier airport said
all flights were safe.

Police in Wellington and Masterton also received calls, as did Wellington's
Carter Observatory.

Carter Observatory astronomer Richard Hall said that judging by the different
colours people had reported seeing, the object sounded like a piece of space
debris, perhaps from a satellite.
Received on Tue 08 Oct 2002 02:15:33 PM PDT