'Meteor' boom heard in central Queensland

Central Queensland residents have reported bright lights and a loud boom in the night sky, sparking speculation of a meteor strike.

A spokesperson for Geosciences Australia confirmed there had been a "tremor" around Gladstone about 8.30pm on Monday and that it wasn't caused by an earthquake.

Harvard astrophysicist Johnathan Powell told the Gladstone Observer "this sounds like a big (meteor), first in several years that has been that big".

"I'm guessing about a rock about a metre across which would have been big enough perhaps to leave fragments," he said.

Police confirmed they had received numerous phone calls from residents, but no damage has been reported as yet.

Dozens of people took to social media to share their experiences, many describing a "bright flash", loud "bangs" and their houses "shaking".

Higgins Storm Chasing weather group said the meteorite most likely impacted somewhere offshore because there were no reports of damage on land.

Meanwhile, a 3.8 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Airlie Beach at around 10.15pm, though there is nothing to suggest it was as a result of the apparent meteor strike.