* Astronomy

Meteor shower sparks calls to police

A meteor shower was visible throughout New Zealand last night, prompting calls to police about distress flares.
Inspector Kristy Meates said 10 calls were logged between 7pm and 7.40pm in the central and lower North Island. More calls were reported elsewhere.

Callers claimed to have seen "greeny-blue flares", but distress flares are red. The reaction was similar to that on August 3 last year when people reported seeing fireballs. They were thought to have been from the Perseid meteor shower, associated with the comet Swift-Tuttle.
Carter Observatory's senior astronomer Brian Carter said meteor showers were uncommon in June but not unheard of. They were made up of space matter entering Earth's atmosphere.
Such events were spectacular to watch but held greater significance if people saw meteors landing on the ground - something which happened rarely.
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New Zealanders who keep their eyes on the skies in the coming night may be treated to quite a sight.
Meteor showers are being seen up and down the country.
Astronomers say the showers are usual this time of the year, and spokesman for the Palmerston North Astronomical Society Noel Munford says they are caused by comets which have passed by the Earth, leaving debris in their wake.
He says meteor activity is a spectacular instant, where something bursts into prominence in a matter of seconds.
Noel Munford says it is a glorious sight, and is worth wrapping up to go out and have a look.
One Matamata man says he's never seen anything like the blaze of light he witnessed last night.
Paul Denyer was travelling towards the Kaimai ranges when he saw a meteor burst across the horizon.
He first thought it was an aircraft crashing, but realised it was travelling far too fast.
Mr Denyer says it was an incredible sight, like a huge firework exploding.
He says he has seen meteor showers before, but nothing as big as this.

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