'Once in a lifetime': Exploding meteor lights up Melbourne sky

Those enjoying a romantic gaze at the stars in Melbourne on Valentine's Day were treated to a remarkable sight as a meteor lit up the sky late on Sunday.

The rare sight sparked a wave of excitement online with users from across Melbourne sharing videos and their experiences on a range of platforms.

One video shared by Fernando Braga from the CBD shows the meteor descending towards the city before burning a bright yellow and disappearing.

One witness in Heidelberg described it as "beautiful" and a "once in a lifetime sighting".

"Crazy, never seen anything like that before," another in Brunswick said.

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"Absolutely stunning," one person in Box Hill South said.

Peter Lieverdink from Mount Burnett Observatory told Yahoo News Australia while meteors in the state occurred "quite frequently", the conditions of this one were perfect for optimal viewing.

He said seems so impressive due to amount of energy produced thanks to the high speed at which it travels, with speeds of up to 40km/s.

ABC meteorologist Nate Byrne labelled the sighting "pretty impressive stuff".

He said it appeared to be a meteor instead of a meteorite with no reports as of yet of meteoritic material falling to ground.

The meteor was spotted at about 10.40pm (AEDT).

Meteors differ from meteorites as they burn completely due to friction with air before they reach Earth, Australian Museum explains.

The Astronomical Society of Victoria said it was likely a sporadic meteor and was "probably not much bigger than a marble".

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