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First, the connection between "looming" and "luminous" is probably not 
etymological. Short words with "oo" are usually, though not always, very old 
and Germanic in origin, while "luminous" comes from Latin. Despite the low 
likelihood of a direct connection between these two words, the similarity in 
sound may have led to some shift in the meaning of "looming" over the 
centuries. 

Looming is a fascinating little word... John, you should dig around in Google 
Books. Go to the Books Advanced Search page and enter "looming" as your 
search term and then try various time periods. For example, enter 1750 as the 
high date. I did not realize that "looming" was originally a seaman's term. 
Phrases like "looming disaster" applied figuratively seem to be more common 
much later (19th century?). The OED is still the definitive source for 
etymologies. If you look the word up there, you find instances of the 
nautical meaning from the late 16th century but also the figurative meaning 
from the same period. There is a suggested etymology in the OED connecting it 
with an old Frisian word and proposing that the original meaning was to "come 
slowly toward".

From a dictionary c.1707 in the strictly nautical sense:
"The looming of a ship is her perspective, as she appears at a distance great or little."

The OED has a similar quotation from 1627.

Also, by the end of the 18th century, looming came to be attached to a 
specific refraction phenomenon. It's still used that way today in some 
technical discussions of refraction. Here are two examples of the specific 
refractional sense of looming:

Thomas Jefferson writing on looming in 1782:
"Having had occasion to mention the particular situation of Monticello for 
other purposes, I will just take notice that its elevation affords an 
opportunity of seeing a phenomenon which is rare at land, though frequent at 
sea. The seamen call it looming. Philosophy is as yet in the rear of the 
seamen, for so far from having accounted for it, she has not given it a name. 
Its principal effect is to make distant objects appear larger, in opposition 
to the general law of vision, by which they are diminished. I knew an 
instance, at Yorktown, from whence the water prospect eastwardly is without 
termination, wherein a canoe with three men, at a great distance was taken 
for a ship with its three masts. I am little acquainted with the phenomenon 
as it shows itself at sea; but at Monticello it is familiar. There is a 
solitary mountain about 40 miles off in the South, whose natural shape, as 
presented to view there, is a regular cone ; but by the effect of looming, it 
sometimes subsides almost totally in the horizon ; sometimes it rises more 
acute and more elevated ; sometimes it is hemispherical; and sometimes its 
sides are perpendicular, its top flat, and as broad as its base. In short, it 
assumes at times the most whimsical shapes, and all these perhaps 
successively in the same morning. "

William Scoresby, Jr. on "looming" in the arctic c.1820 (only the first part 
is on looming but the rest was too much fun to pass up):
"There are several phenomena of the atmosphere caused by refraction, which 
deserve to be noticed. Under certain circumstances, all objects seen on the 
horizon, seem to be lifted above it a distance of 2 to 4, or more minutes of 
altitude, or so far extended in height above their natural dimensions. Ice, 
land, ships, boats, and other objects, when thus enlarged and elevated, are 
said to loom. The lower parts of looming objects, are sometimes connected 
with the sensible horizon, by an apparent fibrous or columnar extension of 
their parts, which columns are always perpendicular to the horizon : at other 
times, they appear to be quite lifted into the air, a void space being seen 
between them and the horizon. This phenomenon is observed most frequently on 
or before an easterly wind, and is generally considered as indicative of 
such.

When the glaciers, lying to the south of Bern and Neufchatel, "appear nearer, 
plainer, and larger than usual, the country man looks for rain to follow," 
which commonly occurs the next day. "And the Tartars at the mouth of the 
river Jenisei in Siberia, look upon a magnificent appearance of the islands, 
as the presage of a storm ."

A most extraordinary appearance of the Foreland or Charles's Island, 
Spitzbergen, occurred on the 16th of July 1814. While sailing to the 
southward along the coast, with an easterly wind, I observed what appeared to 
be a mountain, in the form of a slender but elevated monument. I was 
surprised that I had never seen it before; but was more astonished when I 
saw, not far distant, a prodigious and perfect arch, thrown across a valley 
of above a league in breadth. The neighbouring mountains disclosed the cause, 
by exhibiting an unnatural elevation, with the columnar structure of looming 
objects. Presently, the scene was changed; the mountains along the whole 
coast, assumed the most fantastic forms; the appearance of castles with lofty 
spires, towers and battlements, would, in a few minutes, be converted into a 
vast arch or romantic bridge. These varied and sometimes beautiful 
metamorphoses, naturally suggested the reality of fairy descriptions; for the 
air was perfectly transparent, the contrast of snow and rocks was quite 
distinct, even in the substance of the most uncommon phantasms, though 
examined with a powerful telescope, and every object seemed to possess every 
possible stability. I never before observed a phenomenon so varied or so 
amusing. The land was not alone affected by this peculiar refraction, since 
every object between the N. E. and S. E. points of the compass, was more or 
less deformed by it. A mass of ice on the horizon, appeared of the height of 
a cliff, and the prismatic structure of its front, suggested the idea of 
basaltic columns. It may be remarked, that these phenomena took place on a 
clear evening, after an uncommonly warm afternoon."

-FER



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