Posted by Elana Janson on April 02, 2013 at 16:18:49:
'Falling stars'
Because I believe that it was made known to me that we are in the final ‘short season’ and we are seeing the signs of the end, I have observed that 2013 seems to be a year of ‘falling stars’.
2013 is significant in that firstly there has been an increase in meteor and fireball sightings in the first three months of this year. Secondly, some call 2013 the “year of the comets” as two comets are expected this year. 2012 and 2013 are solar maximum years which means a period of greater solar activity in the approx 11 year solar cycle. Solar activity result in beautiful auroras that light up the night sky.
Fireballs
In a graph indicating reports of sightings of fireballs to the American Meteor Society from 2005 to 2013, there were equal or more sightings reported in the first two months of 2013 than in the entirety of each year between the years 2005-2009. 2012 was an exceptionally high year for sightings.
Comets
Two comets are expected in 2013. First is Comet Pan-STARRS, which gets its name from the telescope credited with discovering it in June 2001: the Panoramic Survey Telescope & Rapid Response System in Hawaii. The comet is already visible through telescopes in the Southern Hemisphere. The broad dust tail of Comet PanSTARRS has also become a familiar sight for many northern hemisphere comet watchers, as the comet fades but rises higher above the western horizon after sunset.
A second comet might appear later in 2013: Comet ISON. ISON was discovered by Russian astronomers Vitali Nevski and Artyom Novichonok in September 2012. It's named after their night-sky survey program, the International Scientific Optical Network.Earth is expected to pass through the orbit of the comet on 14–15 January 2014, which may result in the creation of a meteor shower.
Then there are also the meteor showers that are produced by comets that broke up centuries ago and can be seen at certain times of the year.
Solar Maximum
During solar maximum large numbers of sunspots usually appear on the sun. Sunspots manifest intense magnetic activity. Most solar flares originate in these magnetically active regions. Solar winds stream away from the sun at these times of activity and when they reach earth they follow the lines of magnetic force sent out from the earth’s core. As electrons of the solar wind enter the earth’s upper atmosphere they encounter atoms of oxygen and nitrogen. The result seen on earth is the curtain formation of colourful auroras or ‘northern lights’ in the sky. 2012 was a year of greater solar activity and magnificent auroras, but it remains to be seen if the sun is to be more active in 2013.
These sightings in 2013 may not appear so unusual, but considering the minute change of the tilt of the earth after three great earthquakes since 2004, an increase in ‘falling stars’ at the present time should possibly be noted in the light of Mat 24:29.
Mat 24:29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and shall the moon not give its light, and the stars shall fall from heaven and the powers of heaven be shaken.”