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New Zealand Fireball
Aug 26, 2004

Space Junk Lights up Skies
It may have caused a stir on earth, but a bright light over south-western NSW last night was not a meteor, an astronomer said today. Police stations from Mount Druitt to Goulburn received dozens of phone calls reporting an extremely bright light and two explosions about 11.30 PM (AEST) yesterday. Goulburn police sergeant Joe Fitzpatrick was on patrol in his police car when he saw an intense light in the sky to the north-west. The light was most likely caused by nothing more than space junk burning up, said astronomer Vince Ford, from Canberra's Mount Stromlo Observatory.

Note: the astronomer's 'opinion' is given, despite the numerous smoking meteor pieces that have been recovered recently during such events. This will be the next cover-up excuse, suppress the finding of meteor chunks, but report astronomer opinions.