Back in June of last year, out in the sticks near Ottosdal in the North West‚ a meteorite shot through the sky in pretty dramatic fashion.

That time around, it was a few farmers who enjoyed the show, but last night’s sighting was picked up by people right around the Cape.

The Citizen reports that a massive streak of light flashed across the sky, “then followed by the sound of an explosion, which some said sounded like a gas bottle exploding”.

On Twitter, the reaction was swift:

In the video below, from the Hermanus Astronomy Centre and posted on Storm Report SA, you can see the bright flash of light:

According to a comment on that video by Storm Report SA, the South African National Space Agency (SANSA) suspects it landed in the Helderberg vicinity.

Dave Apter clearly thought it was crazy:

I heard a loud bang, like a gas bottle exploding, but people saw it….. A flipping meteorite! pic.twitter.com/m4nHeRpLdb

— Dave.apter@gmail.com (@dave_apter) January 16, 2019

We feel you, Dave.

Below from the South African:

The South African National Space Agency (SANSA) confirmed that it had received hundreds of reports. While no official statement has yet been issued by the organisation, Riana Steenekamp, media spokesperson for Overstrand Municipality, says that she has been in contact with SANSA, and that they have indeed verified the event.

There is a difference between a meteor and meteorite. Meteors are actually quite common – think shooting stars. The term ‘meteor’ describes the flash of light seen in the night sky, when a piece of space debris burns up as it passes through our atmosphere.

If any of that space debris survives its vicious descent though earth’s atmosphere and manages to impact the surface of the earth, it is then called a meteorite.

We’ll keep an eye on SANSA’s Facebook page for their next official statement and let you know.

Nature, hey – what a ride.

UPDATE: At around 9:30AM, SANSA posted this:

[sources:citizen&southafrican]