Back in high school I was seriously interested in astronomy. I was out every clear night under dark skies, and was always amazed at the number of satelites and meteors I could see.The satellites were easy to spot. They moved much more quickly than planes, had no blinking lights and faded in and out. You could also expect to see 3-5 meteors per hour - even saw a few split.
Side note:
The thrid largest mereorite ever recovered fell a few miles from where I grew up....C