Science and the Wormwood Star Prophecy - Messianic Literary Corner

In   the First Century AD, the Apostle John wrote an apocalyptic book  called  "Revelation" in which he described among many "end-time" events  the collision of a star called Wormwood with Earth.  Revelation states:

Rev.   8:10-11:  The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star,   blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on   the springs of water-- the name of the star is Wormwood. A third of  the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had   become bitter.

Wormwood is a botanical herb commonly known for its bitterness.  See Botanical.com.    It was used as a pesticide, medicinal tonic and liqueur ingredient.  The  term "wormwood" was often used to describe "extreme bitterness".  Let  us consider the possibility of a "star" turning the waters bitter  on  Earth. The term "star" in classical terminology lacks the modern   astronomical sense.  It could have been referring to a comet, asteroid,   "sun-like" star or planet.  Since the possibility of a planet or sun   colliding with earth is infinitesimal, we will eliminate this   possibility.  

 

The   Wormwood prophecy cites a "great star, blazing like a torch".  Comets   are well known for their blazing tails, due to ionization of their  gases  by the Sun.  Either an asteroid or comet could manifest a blazing  tail  on their entry into Earth's atmosphere.  With respect to a  comet's  impact with a planet, astronomers have recently tracked the  collision of  the "Shoemaker-Levy 9" comet with the planet Jupiter and  were able to  confirm many of their theories.

Various   scientific scenarios have been theorized on the effects of an asteroid   or comet's collision with Earth.  An applicable scenario theorizes a   chemical change in the atmosphere due to "heat shock" during entry   and/or impact of a large asteroid or comet, reacting oxygen and  nitrogen  in the atmosphere to produce nitric acid rain.  The bitterness  produced  by the Wormwood Star upon a third of the Earth's potable  waters could  be the Biblical prediction of "acid rain" from the "heat  shock" of a  large comet or asteroid's impact with Earth.  

The Hooper Natural Science Museum  in Ottawa, Canada cites a scientific theory that postulates "atmospheric chemical changes" from the impact of an asteroid or comet   with the Earth.  This scientific theory was derived by two M.I.T.  scientists.

In 1987 M.I.T. astronomers Ronald Prinn and Bruce Fegley determined the atmospheric consequences of both large and small asteroid and comet impacts. When an asteroid enters earth's atmosphere   there are two occurrences of extreme shock. The first occurs as the   asteroid enters the atmosphere. The second, more important one, occurs when the ejecta plume (the ejected debris caused by an impact) enters   the atmosphere (Dr. Kevin Zahnle, 1990).  This shock causes the   breakdown of the oxygen (O₂) and the nitrogen (N₂)   molecules found in our atmosphere. Through a series of chemical   reactions the dissociation of the nitrogen and oxygen forms NO which is   then converted into NO₂. These two molecules can produce nitric acid rain (HNO₃).  They assumed the "large" impact comet had a mass of 1.25 x 10¹⁶ Kg traveling at a velocity of 65 Km/s. As for the "small" impact asteroid, they assumed it had a mass of 5 x 10¹⁴   Kg traveling at a velocity of 20 Km/s. It is important to note that   these two objects are possible bolides that hit the earth 65 million   years ago.

If the "large" comet impact scenario occurred, 7 x 10⁴⁰   molecules of NO would have been produced and subsequently converted   into acid rain. (See chemical reactions) This would have caused a  global  dispersal of acid rain with a pH of 0-1.5.  On the continents  the acid  rain would have weathered the soil removing many of the  insoluble  elements ( for e.g. Be+2, Al+3, Hg+2, Cu+, Fe+2, Fe+3, Ti+3,  Pb+2, Cd+2,  Mn+2, Sr+2). These elements would end up in soil water,  streams,  rivers, lakes, etc., causing a problem as some of these  elements are  known for their toxicity towards plants and animals (e.g.  Al, Be, Ti,  Hg). As for the oceans, the global acid rain would lower  the pH of the  mixed layer (the top 75 M of the ocean) to a pH of 7.8,  breaking down  the calcareous shells of organisms that thrive in the  mixing zone.

If   the "small" asteroid scenario were to occur, the amount of acid rain   produced would be similar to the "large" comet scenario but only near   the impact site. The global pH change would be rather insignificant.

Above statement is referred to Reference Link #1 (Hooper Museum Website)

The   Tunguska, Siberia meteor strike catastrophe in 1908 evidently led to   high levels of acid rain. This is the conclusion reached by Russian,   Italian and German researchers based on the results of analyses of peat   profiles taken from the disaster region. "Extremely high temperatures   occurred as the meteorite entered the atmosphere, during which the   oxygen in the atmosphere reacted with nitrogen causing a build up of   nitrogen oxides. The Tunguska event is regarded as one of the biggest   natural disasters of modern times. On 30 June 1908 one or more   explosions took place in the area close to the Tunguska River north of   Lake Baikal. The explosion(s) flattened around 80 million trees over an   area of more than 2000 square kilometres. The strength of the  explosion  is estimated to have been equivalent to between five and 30  megatons of  TNT. That is more than a thousand times as powerful as the  Hiroshima  bomb.

There are a number of  different theories  about what caused the catastrophe. However, the  majority of scientists  assume that it was caused by a cosmic event, such  as the impact of a  meteorite, asteroid or comet. The initial research  publication by  Evgeniy M. Kolesnikov of Lomonosov Moscow State  University validates  the theory postulated by Prinn and Fegley of acid  rain following the  heat shock of a meteor, asteroid or comet strike.

In   conclusion, the scientific scenario theorizing "acid rain" following a   large comet or asteroid impact with Earth is the best explanation for   the "Wormwood Star" prophecy existing today.  Such information enhances   the credibility of the "Wormwood Star" prophecy and New Testament   writings with scientific theory and debunks many of the fanciful   futuristic speculations and symbolic interpretations.  This scenario  may  be another instance of "Science catching up with Biblical  prophecy".  

Below   are various links discussing asteroids and comets.  I have focused   particularly on the scientific scenarios of a comet or asteroid   colliding with Earth, causing chemical changes in the atmosphere.

1. Hooper Museum website article predicting "atmospheric chemical changes" with the impact of a comet.

2. Bolide impacts, acid rain, and biospheric traumas at the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary, Ronald G. Prinn and Bruce Fegley Jr

3. Smithsonian/NASA article on possible "acid rain" effect of comet's collision with Earth.

4. "Tunguska catastrophe: Evidence of acid rain supports meteorite theory" Physorg.com