Fireball Photos from California Meteor of Oct. 17, 2012

Oct. 17 Fireball

San Mateo College student Paola-Castillo used her cell phone to capture the Oct. 17, 2012 fireball over Northern California while stuck in traffic.

California Fireball over Aptos

This image of the California fireball was taken on Oct. 17, 2012, by Rachel Fritz and Rick Nolthenius of Cabrillo College, Aptos, CA.

Fireball Over Belmont, CA

Wes Jones caught the fireball over Belmont, CA, at 7:44 PM PDT, Oct. 17, 2012, using the camera at http://astrobytes.net/AllSky3.html.

San Jose Meteor Oct. 17, 2012

Lick Observatory posted a video of the California fireball that appeared Oct. 17, 2012. They wrote: "Raw footage of meteor breaking up over San Jose captured by our security camera from the Lick Observatory. (Camera is a little out of focus and tilted) Round structure to the left is the 40 inch Nickel refracting telescope dome. Lights in the background are from the San Jose cityscape."

Novato Meteorite N1

This photo shows the Novato meteorite N1 discovered by Lisa Webber of Novato, Calif. The meteorite is from a meteor that created a spectacular fireball over Northern California on Oct. 17, 2012

Meteorite Impact Dent

This dent on the roof of Lisa Webber's Novato, Calif. home is thought to have been created when a meteorite slammed into it Oct. 17, 2012.

Meteorite Dent from Oct. 17, 2012 Fireball

The dent in a roof caused by a meteorite from the Oct. 17, 2012, fireball over Northern California is identified by Luis Rivera, the neighbor of Lisa Webber who found the meteorite after it struck her Novata, Calif., home.

Space Rock Impact

Luis Rivera points to the dent a meteorite made in his neighbor's Novato, Calif. roof when it landed Oct. 17, 2012.

Meteorite Hunters Climb Roof

Luis Rivera and Peter Jenniskens climb on the roof a Novato, Calif. home to search for the dent created when a meteorite landed there Oct. 17, 2012.

Lisa Webber

Lisa Webber, a nurse in Novato, Calif., found a meteorite in her backyard after it landed Oct. 17, 2012.

Meteor Fireball Trajectory: Oct. 17, 2012

This map shows the preliminary trajectory of a meteor that lit up the Northern California night sky on Oct. 17, 2012, as calculated by meteor expert Peter Jenniskens from Sunnyvale and San Mateo College Observatory CAMS video data.