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Meteor Shower Lights Up Bay Area Skies

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- A meteor shower spawned by history's most famous comet lit up skies above the Bay Area on Wednesday night, and experts at NASA and the National Weather Service said more would appear with increasing frequency through this weekend.

Space.com reported that the Orionid meteor shower should reach its zenith overnight from Saturday to Sunday as Earth plows through debris shed by Halley's Comet on its path around the sun. The most impressive display should come a few hours before dawn Sunday, scientists predicted.

Astronomers suggested that one of the best views of fireballs streaking across Bay Area skies was likely to be the lofty peak of Mount Diablo, particularly due to the current warm weather front in the region that is pushing the clouds aside.

Residents across Northern California on Wednesday night said they witnessed the bright sky lights and heard loud booms, which experts indicated are often associated with meteor showers.

A security camera at the Lick Observatory in San Jose recorded the meteor streaking across the sky.

San Jose meteor 10-17-2012 by Erik Kovacs on YouTube

(Copyright 2012 CBS San Francisco. All rights reserved.)

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