A LOW-flying fireball has lit up Melbourne's sky sparking speculation as to what the object was.

Twitter went into overdrive shortly after the object was seen across Victoria about 8.40pm.

Herald Sun reader Yvonne Greig said she saw the firey object go across the sky in Scoresby.

“It was very low in the sky, going from west to east, had a large burning ball at the front with a thin trail behind it,” she said.

Paul Zuegn from Roxburgh Park said he thought the object was “heading for earth.”

“I was looking out towards the city and I saw a comet, it was white in colour had a very big trail behind it … I was waiting for it to hit earth, it seemed to be that close,” he said.

“It wasn’t a UFO or anything like that, it was on a straight trajectory and I was just waiting for a big bang.

“I’ve seen shooting stars, everything like that, this was very different."

Michelle Lena said the object split in two as it passed her Blackburn home.

“I was amazed, I couldn’t believe it,” she said. “It was very quick, it was over in seconds.”

Astronomical Society of Victoria spokesman Perry Vlahos said the International Space Station was passing overhead about the time the fireball was sighted.

But he said while he didn’t see the object, its description meant it was most likely a meteor.

“Despite what people saw in reality it is something quite small, and was probably no bigger than a marble.”

He said the meteor posed no threat.

“It is certainly not something for people to be concerned about, ” he said.

“If it was much larger it would have lit up the sky and cast a significant shadow on the ground.”

Last Monday a similar fireball roared through the sky leaving many thinking a plane had crashed.

The meteor was seen across Victoria at about 10.45pm last Monday.

The fireball even caused a sensation in the UK with police inundated with emergency phone calls.

The control tower in Melbourne's Tullamarine Airport was also flooded with calls from locals fearing there had been a plane crash.

Fonte: http://www.heraldsun.com.au