A bright spark was seen in the night sky in Queensland between Mecca and Cairns, west of the Gulf of Carpentaria, on Saturday, with meteorite collectors pinpointing the exact spot where the bright explosion occurred.
Scientists and citizens across Australia are now collecting information to identify the landing site as information gathered leads to the small town of Croydon on the bay.
Phil Bland, a professor at Curtin University’s School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, said the noise felt by residents was a quick indication that a meteor could land near the city.
“The object must have come down pretty close,” he said, adding that “in most cases the whole thing burns up and nothing lands.
Croydonshire Mayor Trevor Pickering said he expected the event to attract attention to the town, which has a population of just 266. “I heard people would be coming looking for it,” he said.
“It’s got some pieces lying around somewhere. It’s going to be hard to find a place but I’d actually like to put a helicopter on and fly around a bit,” he said.
What was this meteorite made of?
Professor Bland believed meteors were common and were recorded by the Desert Fireball Network cameras every month in Australia.
Professor Dr Paulo D’Souza, Dean of Research at Griffith University, believes it was a typical metallic meteorite due to its blue and green colour.
“Some meteorites are very common, very easy to find,” he said.
“You’d have to win the lottery to find a particular piece of rock that came from a unique place.
“But just being a part of it is part of the citizenship of science.”
Professor D’Souza urged people to document the meteorite as it would help them in further research.
“Take pictures of the site, get the GPS location of where you found it, then contact a local university,” he said.