Bright Bolide Meteor Stuns Victoria, Australia

A spectacular meteor, classified as a bolide, lit up the night sky across Victoria, Australia, around 7:30–7:40pm on Sunday, astonishing residents from Ballarat and Bendigo to Melbourne's outskirts. Witnesses described an extremely bright fireball followed by a powerful sonic boom, with some mistaking the event for an earthquake as houses and the ground shook. The meteor was captured on dash cams and CCTV and was unrelated to the Perseid meteor shower, which is not visible from Victoria. Astronomers noted the rarity of such a bright meteor over a populated area and suggested that meteorite fragments may be recoverable in the region. No injuries or damage were reported. Social media was quickly filled with footage and accounts from awestruck witnesses, making the event memorable for many Victorians.