That's what many residents in western Victoria are saying on Monday after a meteor or meteorite flew through the sky just before noon.

According to Museum's Australia meteors are the initial solid particle (meteoroid) that can be too small to survive its flight through Earth's atmosphere and burns up completely when heated by friction with air, to give a momentary streak of light.

Meteorites are larger meteoroids that survive their fiery ordeal and land on the Earth's surface. Very small meteoroids may remain intact or melt to form glassy droplets which rain down on Earth's surface as micrometeorites. Tiny dust particles get rid of heat as quickly as it is applied, so do not burn up and fall gently on the Earth's surface.

Several reports have come in from across the Wimmera about an object which could be seen from different parts of the region for about five seconds between 11.30-11.45am on Monday.

Many who witnessed the sight, couldn't believe it.

Did you see it? Get in touch - cassandra.langley@austcommunitymedia.com.au

Angie Bordon, of Navarre, was in Stawell when she witnessed the sight.

"We had a full moon here last night and it was about the same size I think but it just had a flaming tail," Ms Bordon said.

"It moved so fast - it was probably in the air for around five-seven seconds all up."

Ms Bordon's friend Alex Tera witnessed the object at first and alerted her friend to look up at the sky.

"There were some other people there who probably thought we were crazy," she said.

"I don't know much about them or how far away they actually are. It disappeared behind the trees and my initial thought was I hope it doesn't land anywhere in Stawell.

"I've seen reports of sightings of it in Mildura - so there would be no chance it would be in Stawell."

OTHER NEWS:

Ms Bordon said she couldn't believe what she saw.

"At first I thought someone had lit a flare but there was no colour to it," she said.

"I saw Halley's comet years ago but nothing like this - it really was a once in a lifetime experience.

"A few of my friends are having a look to see what they can find out about it."

Shaun Griffin was working at Seppelts Winery in Great Western at the time he witnessed the object.

"I had just driven a hired knuckle boom outside to be picked up and was talking to some employees when I saw a bright red-orange stream of light in the Western sky," Mr Griffin said.

"It burnt to a bright white then petered out.

It would have been lucky to have lasted two to three seconds as it had finished before the other guys could realise that I was saying look, look I love watching for shooting stars.

"Have seen plenty at night but during the day it's pretty unusual and special."

Astronomical Society of Victoria director Con Stoitsis said there had been numerous reports of a bright object appearing over Horsham, Ararat, Bendigo and Murchison on Monday morning at about 11.25am.

"Not much more detail is known at this time," he said.

"I'm checking to see if one of our members captured it on video.

"My thoughts are it was probably space junk or a sporadic meteor."

Astronomical Society of Victoria's president said we are right in the middle of a well known meteor shower 'the Gemini's'.

"They are active until Christmas Eve, however meteors can come from anywhere in the sky. They are usually fairly small, from a grain of sand upwards," he said.

"It is their high velocity which makes them visible. The meteor showers we get throughout the year are due to the Earth's orbit passing through the dust stream of a comet.

"We see more meteors after midnight as we come to face the direction of travel round the orbit."

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: