First Meteor Shower on Record

January 2

First Meteor Shower on Record

Andrew Ellicott Douglass, an early American astronomer born in Vermont, witnessed the Leonids meteor shower from a ship off the Florida Keys.

Douglass, who later became an assistant to the famous astronomer Percival Lowell, wrote in his journal that the “whole heaven appeared as if illuminated with sky rockets, flying in an infinity of directions, and I was in constant expectation of some of them falling on the vessel. They continued until put out by the light of the sun after day break.”

Douglass’ journal entry is the first known record of a meteor shower in North America.

The Leonids meteor shower is an annual event that is greatly enhanced every 33 years or so by the appearance of the comet Tempel-Tuttle. When the comet returns, the Leonids can produce rates of up to several thousand meteors per hour that can light up the sky on a clear night.

Douglass witnessed one such manifestation of the Leonids shower, and the subsequent return of the comet Tempel-Tuttle in 1833 is credited as inspiring the first organized study of meteor astronomy.

We know that the BIBLE tells us that in the Last Days there will be signs in the heavens. Acts 2:19, Luke 21:25

These signs seem to be becoming more frequent and more pronounced. Are they one more indication of the soon return of JESUS?

The BIBLE tells us that “no man knows the day or the hour” Matthew 24:36, Mark 13:32, when HE will come back, but it does tell us that we can discern the signs and that we should be looking for HIS soon appearing.