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Wish Upon A Star
updated: Oct 23, 2012, 10:41 AM

By Edhat Subscriber

This morning at around 6:45, I saw a shooting star that was way bigger than usual and lasted way longer than usual. I watched it fall half way across the sky and could see chunks flying off of it as it made it's descent! It was out above the ocean around Dos Pueblos Ranch in Goleta. Is there a website or somewhere that keeps track of these things? I've never seen anything look to be so close.

Comments in order of when they were received | (reverse order)

COMMENT 334635	2012-10-23 10:47 AM
It is the Orionid metor shower - it will peak on Sunday morning, but just take this as hearsay :)
COMMENT 334639P	2012-10-23 10:54 AM
Lucky you! Check with the Santa Barbara Astronomical Unit, http://www.sbau.org/
COMMENT 334650	2012-10-23 11:31 AM
Sounds like you may have seen what is referred to as a "fireball", an exceptionally bright meteor. Lucky you!
COMMENT 334651	2012-10-23 11:31 AM
While in the desert this summer, I twice saw enormous falling meteors that completely lit up the black sky. It was thrilling, but also a little frightening since I had no idea what was happening. I knew it wasn't a falling star, there was absolutely no comparison in the intensity. But I didn't know what it was, either, until I googled it.
COMMENT 334654P	2012-10-23 11:39 AM
Look at the size of this one! Novato meteorite: http://www.foxnews.com/science/2012/10/23/meteorite-fragment-hits-california-house/ Article has link to Cameras for Allsky Meteor Surveillance
COMMENT 334662	2012-10-23 12:05 PM
I saw a huge daytime fireball a couple years ago and reported it to the American Meteor Society website. (Sorry, unable to post the link here.) Later I checked back and there were dozens of others who had reported the same sighting that day and approximate time throughout Southern California. I'm not sure if you saw a fireball or simply a very big meteorite, but the American Meteor Society website might help you better understand this.
COMMENT 334680	2012-10-23 12:48 PM
334662 - Hello.......a fireball IS a meteor. A bright meteor. But not necessarily a meterorite, unless chunks of it make their way to earth.
MACPUZL	2012-10-23 01:48 PM
The Orionids peaked a couple of nights ago, but are active for weeks. It thus might have been a chunk of Comet Halley. It could also have been from the Taurid shower. Report fireballs (big meteors) at: http://amsmeteors.org/fireballs/ meteoroid - hasn't hit the atmosphere yet meteor - the heated glowing atmosphere you see when it hits meteorite - a chunk that survives and hits the ground The meteors you see are normally about 70 miles up and the size of a grain of sand (just moving miles per second).
COMMENT 334758	2012-10-23 03:35 PM
I'm not saying it was aliens...but it was aliens.
COMMENT 334772	2012-10-23 03:58 PM
I saw it too, the sky was pretty bright by that time but the meteor looked like a sparkler and seemed to be pretty close, like between us and the channel islands. Pretty cool.
COMMENT 334781	2012-10-23 04:16 PM
I saw it as well from SBCC over the ocean
COMMENT 334800	2012-10-23 04:51 PM
I understand meteorites (meteors that land on Earth) are valuable.
COMMENT 335011	2012-10-24 08:56 AM
Spectacular. Saw it while walking the dog. I was hoping it hit the bluffs, but distances are deceiving and I expect it plunged into the ocean.
MKOTO	2012-10-25 12:48 AM
About 20 years ago we were anchored on the north shore of Santa Cruz Island. There were 7 of us and after dinner we settled in for an evening of stargazing when a huge fireball lit up the boat, the anchorage and the northeastern sky. We all watched speechless for what seemed like 5 seconds or more as the fiery object flashed brilliant white, orange, deep red and lavander colored sparks. Big chunks broke off and trailed behind. It looked as if it were going to crash in mid-channel 10 miles away. As it turned out, it passed BEHIND the Santa Ynez Mts. on the mainland and quite possibly never hit the Earth. When it was over everyone began to gush superlatives. "Unbelievable!" "Amazing!" "Spactacular!" And then to my surprise, about half the crew began to describe the sound. "Like a rocket engine, a freight train." The rest of us said WTF!? There was no sound associated the object–it was in outer space for crying out loud! To this day–20 years later, the same crewmembers INSIST they heard the fireball. Go figure.

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