SKY · FIREBALLS & REENTRIES · USA · DARK-SKY
Did You See a Fireball Over Mauna Kea?
If a brilliant streak just crossed the sky over Mauna Kea, it was almost certainly one of two things — a natural meteor (a fireball, gone in seconds) or a human-made object falling back to Earth (a reentry, slower and often breaking apart). Here's what's recently been recorded near Mauna Keaand what's predicted to come down soon, plus how to tell which you saw.
A single fast flash = meteor; a slow, drawn-out glow with several pieces = a reentry.
From Mauna Kea, at a fairly low latitude, you sit under the ground tracks of a wide range of orbits, so reentry trails are geometrically possible from many objects. Most reentries still happen over ocean or empty land — it's a big planet.
What's recorded near Mauna Kea — and what's coming down
Computed for Mauna Kea: the bright fireballs recently logged nearest you, and the objects predicted to reenter whose orbit can cross your latitude. For your exact spot you can also use your precise location — it never leaves your device.
Checking the sky record…
Reading the live reentry watch list and the recent fireball record near you.
Mauna Kea right now
If what you saw is still up there and moving steadily, the identifier and tonight's bright passes will name it.
More sky over Mauna Kea
SEE IT ON THE MAP
Watch satellites and decaying objects move across the live globe.