What was that fireball? Maybe the Orionid meteor shower -- or not

The bright fireball in the sky Wednesday night that surprised Bay Area residents may or may not be part of the Orionid meteor shower that will peak this weekend.

Some media reports say it was the beginning of the annual meteor event but Phil Plait on Discover Magazine’s blog writes:

“A lot of folks are speculating that this is part of the Orionid shower, which peaks this weekend. The direction and timing for the meteor are wrong for that though, so it’s certainly not an Orionid. Meteor showers generally don’t make fireballs like this.”

Regardless, there will be an opportunity for those who want their own fireball moment. Meteors are expected to streak through the sky at a rate of 25 per hour between 11 p.m. PDT Saturday and dawn. Best viewing will begin when the moon sets (around 11:11 p.m.) provided the night sky is clear, according to the Griffith Observatory Sky Report.

The Orionids appear annually when the Earth travels through debris left by Halley’s Comet. And remember: You won’t see much if you stick around the city because of all the lights. Drive up the Angeles Crest Highway or head to the desert or some other dark spot to watch the show.

But back to the Northern California sighting: More than 100 people filed online accounts of their sightings with the American Meteor Society.

Martin Welch of Vacaville, Calif., wrote: “I’m 61 yrs old, sober and a VietNam vet. It looked a lot like a plane hit by a missile but the explosion trailed the initial burst rather than surrounding it. Except for my night air combat experiences, I’ve never seen anything like this. It was not traveling at the speed typical of a meteor.”

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