Sightings of fiery streak across S. Calif. sky

(AP) Sightings of fiery streak across S. Calif. sky
LOS ANGELES
A fireball that lit up the night sky and social media was likely a meteor streaking across the sky, forecasters said.

Southern Californians from Santa Barbara to San Diego reported seeing bright lights Wednesday night.

The National Weather Service said the sightings that flowed in about 8 p.m. Wednesday were most likely associated with the South Taurids (TOHR-ids) meteor shower that has been especially active in early November. Astronomers said the Taurids don’t bring big numbers of visible meteors but a high percentage of extremely bright ones that look like fireballs.

The American Meteor Society received more than 150 reports from witnesses. The bright flash was visible primarily from Southern California, but people in Arizona, Nevada and Utah also reported seeing the light show, the group said.

The last time a fireball created such as buzz was on Oct. 30 when some 360 people reported seeing a streak over the Pacific Northwest and southwestern Canada.

Twitter lit up with reports of Wednesday’s sightings, though few if any were able to capture the streak on photo or video.

Comedian Eli Braden tweeted that he “just saw an absolutely INSANE meteor in the sky above Glendale, CA … Either that or the alien invasion has begun.”