NSW: Coffee cup sized meteorite probably caused sonic boom

AAP General News (Australia)
12-27-2000
NSW: Coffee cup sized meteorite probably caused sonic boom

SYDNEY, Dec 27 AAP - A meteorite the size of a coffee cup probably caused a sonic boom
and flares over the New South Wales south coast last night, an expert said today.

Ian Warren, operations supervisor at Canberra's Deep Space Communications Complex,
said the events were unrelated to an incident overnight when the Mir Space Station lost
contact with space officials in Russia, sparking fears the aging orbiter could crash to
earth.

Mr Warren said the centre had received multiple reports of a boom and explosions in
the sky overnight.

Mr Warren said the centre could not confirm the origin of the activity in the sky but
said reports suggested it was a small-sized meteorite.

"We have had reports of a sonic boom down on the south coast of New South Wales," Mr Warren said.

"It is most likely to be a meteorite, the size of the meteorite would probably be about
coffee cup size or something like that.

"That would cause a sonic boom and would also cause some good flares around it."

Mr Warren said there were initial concerns that the boom and explosions were related
to problems with the Mir Space Station.

However, the Mir had since re-established contact, ruling out any link between the events.

Chris, from Bateman's Bay, said he heard a "huge bang" that shook his house around
10.30 last night.

"There was a huge bang which shook my house, the dogs woke up and went crazy," he told ABC radio.

"I thought the house next door had blown up, it was that loud that the windows of my
house shook."

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