Bob Moreno of Santa Rosa was able to take photos of the meteor flaming across the night sky. It had a streaming tail of sparks following behind.
As he continued to snap away, the meteor began to disintegrate, until it finally vanished into the darkness.
The fireball is believed to be a preview of what's to come this weekend during the annual Orionid meteor show. That's when the Earth pushes through the debris left behind by the last passing of Halley's Comet.
The best show in the skies should be late Saturday night until dawn on Sunday.
See photos of the meteor that lit up California skies on Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2012.
