Meteor creates loud sonic boom in Victoria, Australia

2026, October 2. At 03:57 LT (17:57 UTC, 1 Oct), residents across Victoria’s Wimmera region witnessed a striking fireball event. A meteor displaying a distinctive green streak swept through the predawn sky in a southeasterly direction, visible for approximately 2 to 3 seconds before disintegrating. Several minutes after the light display, a heavy delayed shock wave rolled across the region. The sonic boom rattled windows, shook houses, and woke sleeping residents across multiple townships, including Minyip, Horsham, Pimpinio, Dimboola, Warracknabeal, and Haven. Witnesses described the acoustic force as a sudden loud boom, resembling heavy thunder, a sudden explosion, or the impact of a massive tree falling. Initial monitoring indicates that the meteor did not produce detectable Very Low Frequency (VLF) radio emissions during atmospheric entry, meaning the reported physical effects and audible noise were strictly driven by the delayed atmospheric shock wave (airburst). Likely origins: October 2 marks the precise opening night of the annual Orionid meteor shower activity window (which runs from October 2 through early November). While most Orionids are small dust particles, the parent stream (Halley's Comet) is known for fast-moving debris (66 km/s) capable of producing glowing green trains and bright fireballs. See post on 24th September titled (Meteor detonates over Tasman Sea west of New Zealand)