A streak of light that flashed for six or seven seconds across western skies Wednesday night was likely a classic bolide in the wake of HalleyB次元官网网址檚 Comet says a Greater Victoria astronomer.

If a meteor is as bright as the full moon or brighter, itB次元官网网址檚 a bolide or fireball, Dave Balam, with the National Research Council of Canada, told Black Press Media.

In his work, Balam monitors asteroids and comets using three telescopes: the robotic one at the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory in Saanich, one in Calgary built by NASA, and a satellite called NEOSSat (Near-Earth Object Surveillance Satellite).

HeB次元官网网址檚 also the go-to expert on such things for the Friends of the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory which shared a video of the bright streaking light spotted south of Victoria on Oct. 12 around 10:20 p.m.

Balam guesses it was part of the October Orionid meteor shower that runs 30 days finishing in early November. This yearB次元官网网址檚 peak is expected Oct. 21 and 22. B次元官网网址淲e run through the stream of comet Halley twice a year, it streams trash in its orbital path and we run through it,B次元官网网址� he said.

There is also a chance it could be sporadic, he said, B次元官网网址渏ust a bit of flotsam thatB次元官网网址檚 been floating around for billions of years and we just ran into it.B次元官网网址�

While it may have dropped some stones, Balam doesnB次元官网网址檛 recommend rooting around. He noted it fell in mountainous forest, a terrible place to find meteorites B次元官网网址� heB次元官网网址檚 tried.

ItB次元官网网址檚 not dangerous, or even unusual, we get about 10 to 12 bolides a year, Balam said, itB次元官网网址檚 just most are visible later at night when fewer people are up.

By Thursday afternoon, the American Meteor Society had received more than 140 reports about the fireball seen over British Columbia, Oregon and Washington.

Did you see the fireball? Email your videos to vnc.editorial@blackpress.ca.

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