Mysterious 'fireball' in Australian sky sparks curious debate

Is it a meteor, a space station or a UFO? These were just a few theories floating around the web this week after a bright flash of light left a trail in the sky over Tasmania.

Footage of the flash was captured on video by Lee Ann Peters, a Hobart resident.

“It was very slow moving, not like the high jets I’ve seen before. I got out the binoculars and thought it must be a meteorite,” Peters told ABC Australia.

The video shows a blazing ball of fire flying overhead with a beautiful Australian sunset behind it. While many residents began throwing theories about what the oddity was, Airservices Australia confirmed that it was nothing more than an airplane headed to New Zealand.

“It is not uncommon for people to mistake jet contrails for meteors, especially in the afternoon and in the western sky as the sun sets,” David Finlay of Australian Meteor Reports told Mercury. “I’ve watched some people looking at contrails who even thought they were seeing a comet.”