Connecting The Dots Project
The Leonid meteor storm
The Leonid meteor storm in November 1833 was of such astonishing intensity that it sent shivers down the spines of many, conjuring vivid visions of an impending Armageddon!!
A spectacular meteor storm known as the Leonid meteor storm lit up the sky across the United States, with an estimated 50,000 to 150,000 meteors falling every hour. According to newspaper reports, nearly everyone witnessed it, stirred either by the commotion in the streets or by the dazzling glow of fireballs illuminating their bedroom windows. The meteor storm was exceptionally intense because it resulted from the Earth passing through the densest part of the debris trail left behind by the comet Tempel-Tuttle. This particular comet has an orbit that intersects with Earth's path around the Sun. When the Earth crosses this debris trail, it leads to a concentrated and dramatic display of meteors. F.Y.I., the Leonid meteor shower is expected to produce another intense meteor storm in 2099 if you can manage to live a long life. This is because Earth will pass through the same dense region of debris that caused the 1833 storm.
Anyway, how do you think this event was well-documented and recorded in 1833? Denison Olmsted, a Yale professor, was among those who witnessed this extraordinary event. He had limited data to study, so he appealed to the public through newspapers to provide information about the phenomenon. This crowdsourcing effort, one of the earliest of its kind, resulted in a flood of responses from people all over the country, which Olmsted used to draw new conclusions about meteors. Newspapers played a crucial role in spreading Olmsted's call for information and reporting on the meteor storm, demonstrating the power of mass media in scientific research.
Anyway, how do you think this event was well-documented and recorded in 1833? Denison Olmsted, a Yale professor, was among those who witnessed this extraordinary event. He had limited data to study, so he appealed to the public through newspapers to provide information about the phenomenon. This crowdsourcing effort, one of the earliest of its kind, resulted in a flood of responses from people all over the country, which Olmsted used to draw new conclusions about meteors. Newspapers played a crucial role in spreading Olmsted's call for information and reporting on the meteor storm, demonstrating the power of mass media in scientific research.
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Anyway, YOU MUST READ THE EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT in the link below. So fascinating!!
https://josephsmithfoundation.org/meteor-shower-of-1833/
Sources:
https://blogs.loc.gov/.../how-newspapers-helped.../
https://www.amsmeteors.org/met.../meteor-shower-calendar/....
https://www.space.com/9517-leonid-meteor-shower-revealed...
Joseph Smith’s account of the 1833 meteor shower, as written in the Times and Seasons (Vol. 6) (May 15, 1845)
Artworks:
- Meteor shower over the Mississippi River, 1833 by North Winds
- Sketch of Leonid Meteor Shower of 1833
- "The Night the Stars Fell from the Sky," by Swiss artist Karl Jauslin
- LEONID METEOR SHOWER, 1833. Meteor shower at Niagara Falls, 13 November 1833: wood engraving, 19th century.
