Throughout history, when events in the sky have fascinated, awed, and frightened, they have been associated with momentous subsequent events.

Underline “subsequent”: Those events don’t usually happen concurrently or immediately.

Case in point: The Great Comet of 1811, with a coma over a million miles across, making it visible in the sky for almost a year.

To many, the appearance of this unusual celestial visitor in the night sky portended doom.

The comet passed closest to earth on October 20, 1811, the head and coma wider than the diameter of the sun, and with an extraordinarily long, brilliant tail.

There was no immediate apocalypse, but two months later, on December 16, the first of three extraordinary earthquakes struck the midwestern and southern United States. The quakes were so intense they shook church bells in New England and coastal South Carolina, and for a time, parts of the Mississippi River flowed backward.

They were considered magnitudes of 7 to 8 — and people blamed them on the comet.

Most events in the sky are less portentous. Witness Hale-Bopp in 1997.

But the great aurora borealis on January 26, 1938 (which Fatima seer Lucia dos Santos connected with a great sign predicted in one of her secrets) was seen by much of the world a month before Hitler and his Nazis marched into Austria (which many peg as the start of World War Two).

The Pope tied to Fatima, John Paul II, was born the day of a partial eclipse in the southern hemisphere and on the day of his funeral occurred another.

If the eclipse of 2024 was indeed a sign, it could be weeks or months before an historic event.

The upshot: Don’t get swept away. But: stay tuned.

[Footnote: Eclipses have long fascinated humanity, often occurring alongside significant historical events, whether by coincidence or through the interpretations of those witnessing them. Here’s a list of notable eclipses that coincided with momentous events:

1. Battle of Halys (585 BCE): Often cited as the earliest recorded eclipse, this event interrupted a battle between the Lydians and the Medes, leading to a truce. This eclipse was predicted by Thales of Miletus, marking a significant moment in the history of astronomy.
2. Death of Louis the Pious (840 CE): The eclipse that occurred shortly before the death of Louis the Pious is often linked to the subsequent disintegration of the Carolingian Empire, as his sons fought for control, leading to the Treaty of Verdun.
3. Eclipse of Thales (585 BCE): This eclipse, predicted by Thales, reputedly caused a cessation of hostilities between the Lydians and Medes who were engaged in battle, leading to peace.
4. Crucifixion of Jesus (33 CE): Some interpretations of the Christian Bible suggest that an eclipse occurred during the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, though this is theologically and astronomically debated.
5. The Viking Invasion of England (1133 CE): King Henry I of England died shortly after an eclipse, an event that was seen as an omen. His death led to a period of civil war in England.
6. Birth of Genghis Khan (c. 1162 CE): Legend holds that Genghis Khan was born on a day marked by a total solar eclipse, symbolizing his impact on the world, though historical evidence for this is anecdotal.
7. Battle of Agincourt (1415 CE): An eclipse occurred shortly before the famous battle, which was seen as a bad omen by the French. The English victory was a turning point in the Hundred Years’ War.
8. Columbus Uses an Eclipse (1504 CE): Christopher Columbus, stranded in Jamaica, used his knowledge of an upcoming lunar eclipse to convince the local population to provide him with supplies, effectively saving his crew from starvation.
9. American Revolution (1778 CE): A solar eclipse visible in the United States was interpreted by some as an omen of British defeat, occurring during a crucial year of the American Revolutionary War.
10. World War I (1914 CE): Just before the outbreak of World War I, an eclipse was visible across Europe, adding to the tense atmosphere of the time.
11. Einstein’s Theory of Relativity (1919 CE): An eclipse provided key evidence for Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity, significantly impacting the course of modern physics.
12. World War II (1939 CE): An eclipse occurred just months before the outbreak of World War II, adding to the global tension.
13. Birth of the Internet (1999 CE): The last total solar eclipse of the millennium occurred in August 1999, a period often associated with the tech boom and the mainstream emergence of the internet.
14. Last but not least: some believe the ancient city of Nineveh was in the path of totality of a total eclipse around the time Jonah was warning it of destruction.

These events highlight the historical significance of eclipses, not just as celestial phenomena but as markers or omens that have been interpreted in various ways throughout history.]