Everything cool happens in Aussie land.
Meteor over WA creates sonic boom
By Selina Day
October 7, 2003
A SPECTACULAR meteor streaked across the skies of south-west Western Australia overnight, creating a sonic boom as it broke the sound barrier and startling many country residents.
The meteor vaporised near the Wheatbelt town of Dowerin, 157km north-east of Perth, about midnight (WST).
It was seen by scores of people between Perth and Bunbury in the south to Geraldton in the north and Dowerin in the east.
Perth Observatory astronomer Peter Birch said the meteor was brighter than a full moon as it broke the sound barrier and woke Dowerin residents.
It is rare for a meteor to create a sonic boom. One was heard over southern WA on May 1, 1995, and there had been one between then and last night, Mr Birch said.
He said it was probably one of the most spectacular recent meteor events and more than 50 people had called the observatory to report it.
The random meteor had travelled from west to east, rather than the more-usual east-west trajectory.
"It was probably about 40km above the earth\'s surface," Mr Birch said.
"More people heard it than saw it, but there were quite a few people who saw it, including truckies, so I have no doubt about what it was.
"It\'s just a meteor that has vaporised in the atmosphere."
