The rock that is this Earth has been traveling across the universe since well before we humans arrived and started writing things down, and it will continue to do so long after we've left. That means that annual meteor showers, such as the Leonids, the Perseids, and the Orionids, among others, have been occurring annually for untold millions of years.

Regardless, the Leonid meteor storm — not shower, and you'll soon read why — was one for the record books. In a typical Leonid meteor shower, such as the one that EarthSky predicts for November 3 through December 2, 2023, stargazers who know where and when to look, could observe about 10 to 15 meteors per minute. By comparison, during a meteor storm, such as the one of 1833, thousands of streaks of light can fall per minute. One particular night, November 12, 1833, according to Space, an estimated 240,000 fell. It was visible in the Eastern United States, and though many Americans were sound asleep at the time, many were wakened by the commotion, as crowds gathered to watch the sky falling before their eyes. "The sky was scored in every direction with shining tracks and illuminated with majestic fireballs," noted one observer, via NASA. Unfortunately, the event predated videography by over a century, so there were no videos of it. However, sketches, paintings, drawings, and engravings of the event exist, and a few have been compiled in this video, via YouTube. Clearly, those who witnessed it were treated to a once-in-a-lifetime sight.

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