Blog note: And great earthquakes shall be in diverse places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. (Luke 21:11). Jesus is giving a series of prophecies about what to look for as the age of grace comes to a close. This verse from Luke is one of many such prophecies from throughout the Bible. 2017 was the worst year in recorded history for the intensity, frequency, severity, duration and occurrence of a large number of severe natural disasters worldwide. Earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes, typhoons, cyclones, torrential flooding, unprecedented wildfires in unusual places, devastating droughts, excessive/scorching heat setting records everywhere, record snowfalls in Europe and Russia. Snow in the Arabia. This list can go on. Most studied eschatologists believe these ‘fearful sights’ and massive natural disasters are all part of the ‘CONVERGENCE’ of signs that this Biblical and prophetic age is closing. Most people who study prophecy are familiar with the routine reference(s) made that these things will be like a woman having labor pains that occur in greater severity, frequency, size and duration prior to giving birth. End of note.

Leonid meteor shower: Saturday night’s peak to spark 20 meteors per hour in the night sky. They are famous for historic meteor storms boasting thousands of meteors per hour.

brian.lada. AccuWeather. November 13, 2018

The weekend before Thanksgiving will bring one of the last major meteor shows of the year as the Leonids streak across the sky. This shower is famous for sparking spectacular meteor storms that in the past have showcased hundreds of thousands of meteors per hour, but a storm like this is not anticipated during the Leonids this year.”Twenty meteors per hour are likely through the peak, which makes it more active than the recent Taurid meteor shower,” AccuWeather Astronomy Blogger Dave Samuhel said.

Although the peak of the Taurids has passed, people may spot a few stragglers while out looking for the Leonids, adding to the total number of meteors visible per hour.  “The Leonids are often bright meteors with a high percentage of persistent trains,” the American Meteor Society said. This will make them easy to spot in the night sky, although light pollution may wash out some of the meteors. The second half of the night will be the best time to view the Leonids after the moon has set and the shower’s radiant point, or point of origin, is high in the sky. “The meteors radiate from the Leo constellation in the northeastern part of the sky,” Samuhel said.

Although the Leonids will radiate from the northeast, onlookers will be able to see meteors appear in all areas of the sky, weather permitting.  The best viewing conditions on the peak of the Leonids is expected across the central and western United States and into the Canadian Prairies. “Dry weather may dominate the central and western United States,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski said. Pydynowski added that some patchy clouds may get in the way of some meteors in the southern Plains and Southwest, but people should still be able to see some meteors in these region.

“It may not be a good night at all to view the meteor shower downwind of the Great Lakes, where a significant lake-effect snow event may be underway,” Pydynowski said. “Some clouds may streak to the I-95 corridor, but even where there are enough breaks in the clouds, brisk winds will not make it a pleasant night to sit out to watch the meteors,” Pydynowski added. Stargazers will be able to see some of the Leonids in the nights leading up to and following the shower’s peak, although in fewer numbers.

People planning to head outside this weekend for the peak of the meteor shower should bundle up for the chilly November nights and find a spot away from city lights.”City, state and national parks are often great places to watch meteor showers. Be sure to go to the park early in the day and find a wide open area with a good view of the sky in all directions,” EarthSky said.

Additionally, avoiding looking at lights and cell phone screens will allow your eyes adjust to the dark, making it easier to see dimmer meteors.  While the Leonids are expected to be a standard shower this year, they are famous for historic meteor storms boasting thousands of meteors per hour. “In fact, you could say that the Leonids have produced the most impressive shows in recorded history,” Samuhel said.

“I personally witnessed the most recent storm [in 2001]. I observed what seemed to be several meteors at once in the sky all night long. But, the 2001 show pales in comparison to 1966 and 1833,” Samuhel said. People that witnessed the storm in 1833 were said to have seen as many as 200,000 meteors per hour.

“The Leonids storm of 1833 was probably the the most intense meteor storm in recorded history,” Samuhel said. These Leonid meteor storms typically occur once every 33 years, making the next chance for one not until the early 2030s.