Flaming Meteor That Could Be Worth Half a Million Dollars Crashes into Earth

A flaming meteor has crashed to earth, sparking a huge search to find a piece of the rock, which could be worth more than half a million dollars.

The “unusually large meteor” lit up the skies of southern Norway as it rumbled across the sky.

Experts in Oslo, the country’s capital, say a piece of the meteor may have hit Earth not far from the city.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

Reports of sightings started around 1 am, and the meteor was seen as far north as Trondheim.

A web camera in Holmestrand, south of Oslo, captured a fireball falling from the sky and erupting into a bright flash lighting up a marina.

The Norwegian Meteor network analyzed video footage and other data to pinpoint the meteor’s origin and destination.

Preliminary data suggested a meteorite may have hit Earth in a large wooded area, called Finnemarka, just 40 miles west of the capital, Oslo, the network said.

“This was crazy,” Morten Bilet, who saw and heard the meteor, told Reuters.

The meteor lit up the night sky for about five to six seconds, Bilet said.

The rock is believed to have weighed at least 10kg and was traveling at a speed between 10 and 12 miles an hour, according to the Norwegian Meteor Network (NMN).

The value of meteorites varies hugely and retail values in today’s marketplace go from $0.50 to for $1,000 per gram or more, according to geology.com.

Eyewitnesses said they felt a stronger wind blown with the meteor’s arrival also caused a pressure wave, according to Bilet.

“What we had last night was a large rock traveling likely from between Mars and Jupiter, which is our asteroid belt. And when that whizzes in, it creates a rumble, light and great excitement among us (experts) and maybe some fear among others,” Bilet said.

There were no reports of damage or people being particularly frightened, Bilet said, adding that for those nearest it was likely more of a “spooky” event.

A meteor that exploded over the central Russia near the city of Chelyabinsk in 2013 rained fireballs over a vast area and caused a shockwaves that injured 1,200 people, smashed windows, damaged buildings.