This year’s Leonid storm is expected to produce a few thousand meteors per hour. Stunning, sure, but imagine what people must’ve thought in 1833, back before they even knew why the Leonids were happening.

For several hours over the United States that year thousands and thousands of meteors at a time rained down. That’s more in few minutes than you’ll probably see in your whole life. The display was so bright it woke people up!