Last month, two bright green fireballs appeared over New Zealand, A . reports Live Science. On July 7, a green meteor appeared in the Cook Strait between the North Island and the South Island, the body was estimated to be one meter wide and destroyed with a force of 1,800 tons of TNT, causing a sonic explosion. Two weeks later, another green meteor was seen from Canterbury on the South Island.
Fireballs are exceptionally bright meteors.
Robert LunsfordAccording to an employee of the American Meteor Association, the number of reports from New Zealand has increased dramatically, and the number of local fireball sightings has already exceeded 30 times more than in Australia. The bright green color of objects increases the likelihood of being noticed.
The documentation process is also aided by the fact that it has become easier to report meteorites in the country in recent times. The main goal of Fireballs Aotearoa, a non-profit initiative created by researchers and civilians, is to search for meteorites that reach the surface. The group also works with the International Meteorological Organization to support meteorological documentation.
The green color of small, fast meteors occurs when particles from the sun interact with the atmosphere upon entry. In larger, slower meteorites, green indicates a metal content such as nickel, iron, or magnesium. According to Lunsford, New Zealand fireballs are unlikely to be of the type Perseid meteor shower She was due.
