Two suspected meteors have been reported across New Zealand's skies in recent days, captivating observers and disturbing some animals. A large fireball was seen over parts of the North Island just after 10.20pm on Tuesday night, following a separate fireball observed over the South Island on Sunday evening.
Footage from various cameras captured the North Island skies lighting up with a large flash. Numerous individuals reported a "huge boom" that accompanied the event, with one commentator describing it as "Absolutely insane. I thought it was a plane on fire." Another witness noted, "It was huge, the ball was orange with a purple tail. We saw black soot coming off it."
Steve Wyn-Harris, director of Fireballs Aotearoa, an organisation tracking meteorites, stated that the sound heard indicates the meteor was relatively close to the ground. Fireballs Aotearoa is encouraging residents in the lower North Island to search for debris, known as meteorites, from Tuesday's suspected meteor and to contact the group if they find anything. Wyn-Harris advised looking for "a black stone that wouldn't ordinarily be there."
Only 10 confirmed meteorites have been found in New Zealand over the past 150 years. However, Wyn-Harris noted that efforts to retrieve meteorites are improving, with Fireballs Aotearoa now having 200 cameras across the country and an increase in security and dashcam footage aiding detection.