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I just saw the same speculation on the meteorobs mailing list. If this is JERS-1, it came down just a hair earlier than forecast.

http://www.nasda.go.jp/jers1/index_e.html

Re-entry of Japanese Earth Resource Satellite-1 (JERS-1)
The Japanese Earth Resource Satellite-1 (JERS-1) has finished its mission and will soon reentry in December, 2001.

The National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) launched JERS-1 by H-1 Launch Vehicle from Tanegashima Space Center in February, 1992.

JERS-1 is an earth observation satellite whose primary objective is to gather data on global land masses while conducting observation for land surveys, agricultural-forestry-fishieries, environmental protection, disaster prevention and coastal surveillance, with emphasis on locating natural resources. JERS-1 is a joint project of the Science and Technology Agency (STA) / NASDA and the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI). STA / NASDA were responsible for the main satellite unit and MITI was responsible for the measuring instruments. Since its launching in 1992, the satellite had continued to supply observation data to users in Japan and abroad and ended the mission on October 12, 1998.

NASDA is making an orbital analysis with the cooperation of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Japan Spaceguard Association and giving the latest information on this site.

Orbital analysis of JERS-1 NASDA(Tsukuba Space Center)
Orbital analysis as of December 2, 2001

Re-entry date : from 00:00 p.m on December 3 to 03:00 a.m on December 4

(strong possibility : 06:00 p.m on December 3)

Meteors can be in the sky for a few seconds and can seem longer. They can burn, explode, and pop along the way. Once I could even hear the explosion of such a fireball.

Satellites, on the other hand, move more slowly across the sky, taking minutes usually. They usually look sort of like planets but move visibly.

Comets have tails, but do not appear to move in the sky.

If the descriptions are accurate, these objects had the speed of a satellite, but the appearance of a fireball meteor. Thus, returning obiting space junk is by far the likeliest explanation.