Bright green fireball illuminates Wellington night sky

Dubai: A bright teal streak of light illuminated the night sky over New Zealand’s capital late Friday, sparking widespread reports of a significant meteor or 'fireball' event.

The phenomenon was recorded at approximately 11.30 pm local time on 30 January by a webcam operated by marine forecaster PredictWind. Footage from the Heretaunga Boating Club captured the luminous trail as it passed over the harbour, with the glow clearly reflected on the water’s surface.

Initial reports suggest the light was caused by a meteor or piece of space debris re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere. Steve Wyn-Harris of Fireballs Aotearoa, a group dedicated to tracking such events, classified the sighting as a "fireball"—the technical term for an exceptionally bright meteor.

"A fireball can produce [meteorites]... sometimes when they get low enough, down to about 20 to 25 kilometres above the earth," Mr Wyn-Harris told RNZ. He explained that if an object slows from its entry speed of roughly 17 kilometres per second down to three kilometres per second, it ceases to burn and can drop rock fragments, known as meteorites, to the ground.

While fireballs are a relatively frequent occurrence in New Zealand skies, the recovery of physical meteorites remains rare. According to experts, only three or four such instances are typically recorded across the country each year.

The specific teal hue of the Wellington streak often indicates the presence of certain chemical elements, such as magnesium or nickel, burning up upon atmospheric entry.

Despite the visual clarity of the event, the object did not register on standard meteorological equipment. A spokesperson for MetService confirmed that forecasters had reviewed radar data and monitoring systems from Friday night but found no signal of the object's passage.

The sighting has drawn significant international attention following the release of the footage on social media. At this stage, there have been no confirmed reports of fragments being recovered on land, though specialists continue to monitor data to determine the object’s final trajectory.