The search for Ruamāhanga – the latest news from Fireballs Aotearoa — Steve Wyn-Harris

On 28 July, a spectacular fireball was seen streaking eastwards across the sky from Kāpiti in the west. (The image above of the fireball over Tongariro was taken by a GeoNet camera.) Many people also reported hearing sonic booms moments later. The fireball was captured by Fireballs Aotearoa’s nationwide network of meteor cameras, which allowed scientists to calculate where surviving fragments were likely to have landed.

The search for the meteorite was led by Steve Wyn-Williams, Director of Fireballs Aotearoa For several days, the team searched farmland north of Masterton, and eventually found four meteorite fragments weighing 8g, 9g, 12g and 40g. The meteorite is now being formally classified by Marshall Palmer at CMW Geosciences.

To date, in New Zealand only 4 meteorites have been seen and collected straight away. Next step is receiving an official name as New Zealand’s 11th documented meteorite – Fireballs Aotearoa suggests Ruamāhanga.