The Terrifying 1833 Meteor Shower

The occurrence of meteors streaking through the night sky is a globally appreciated spectacle. Witnessing a meteor shower is an even more extraordinary event. However, there was a time in history when such celestial displays inspired sheer terror, particularly during the 1833 meteor shower. This event, marked by an extraordinary rate of tens of thousands of meteors falling each hour over two days, led many to think that the apocalypse was upon them.

The Leonids are a prolific meteor shower connected to the comet Tempel–Tuttle, known for their spectacular meteor storms that recur approximately every 33 years. These storms peak in November and are among the most breathtaking natural phenomena visible to the naked eye. Their intensity increases in sync with the 55P/Temple-Tuttle comet's closest approach to the Earth and Sun, causing dust particles to create a barrage of meteors.

In November 1833, a Leonid storm unfolded that was unparalleled in recorded history. Over the course of about nine hours, from November 12th to 13th, it is estimated that around 240,000 meteors fell. At its peak, between 50,000 and 100,000 meteors were visible per hour, fully observable across all of North America east of the Rocky Mountains. Victorian-era astronomer Agnes Clerke described the phenomenon as “a tempest of falling stars breaking over the earth.”

Clerke vividly recounted the experience of watching the meteors:

“The sky was marked in every direction with shining trails and filled with grand fireballs. In Boston, the rate of meteors was likened to half the snowfall of an average snowstorm. Their numbers were overwhelming; yet, as the event waned, an attempt to tally them was made, leading to a calculation that 240,000 must have been visible over the nine-hour duration.”

The sheer magnitude of this Leonid storm shocked observers and heightened awareness of such events, which had previously gone largely unnoticed. Reactions ranged from awe to sheer panic, including:

• Joseph Smith, a Mormon leader, recorded in his diary that the event heralded the imminent return of Jesus Christ.
• Various Native American nations documented the event. The Lakota people even adjusted their calendar to honor what they had witnessed, while the Pawnees, known for their astrological knowledge, had anticipated the 1833 shower.

Many people did not grasp that the meteors were simply burning up in the atmosphere as they traversed the sky. Instead, they feared that these celestial objects were crashing down, signaling an impending cataclysm.

One farmer from Alabama, alarmed by the commotion outside, rushed out in his undergarments, exclaiming, “The world is now actually coming to an end, for the stars are falling.” He then vowed to abstain from alcohol if he survived the night, though there is no record of whether he kept that promise.

A young enslaved girl named Amanda Young in Tennessee witnessed the storm in 1833. Unaware of the event's nature, she was startled by the reactions of the slave owners. Her great-great-granddaughter, Angela Y Walton-Raji, recounted Amanda's words, which have been passed down through generations:

“Big stars coming down real close to the ground and just before they hit the ground they would burn up! We was all scared. Some o’ the folks was screamin’, and some was prayin’. We all made so much noise, the white folks came out to see what was happenin’. They looked up and then they got scared, too.

“But then the white folks started callin’ all the slaves together, and for no reason, they started tellin’ some of the slaves who their mothers and fathers was, and who they’d been sold to and where. The old folks was so glad to hear where their people went. They made sure we all knew what happened … you see, they thought it was Judgement Day.”

Indeed, the slave owners were so frightened by the prospect of Judgment Day that they began hastily making apologies and reparations to those they had enslaved!

A lack of understanding about meteors, especially the Leonids, contributed significantly to the panic and confusion of 1833. The slow dissemination of news at the time meant that it took days for clearer minds to start scientifically explaining the phenomenon. Since then, our understanding of how and why such extraordinary meteor showers occur has gradually improved.

Chapter 2: The Night the Stars Fell

As we delve deeper into this celestial event, let’s take a moment to explore the impact of the 1833 meteor shower through the lens of modern media.

This video, titled "The Night the Stars Fell," provides insights into the night of the meteor shower and its cultural implications.

Chapter 3: The Aftermath and Legacy

The 1833 meteor shower not only left a mark on the individuals who witnessed it but also influenced various cultural narratives.

In this video, titled "The night the stars fell in 1833," we examine how this event has been remembered and interpreted over the years.