Top 10 Once-in-a-Lifetime Events You NEED to See
#10: Red Jellyfish Sprite Lightning
Most people have seen lightning at one point in their lives. How many of us have seen lightning jellyfish sprites, though? These are huge red structures high in the atmosphere, which only occur during strong storms. They can stretch for miles across the sky, in a beautiful bright red color. It all happens in less than a second, making them exceedingly hard to spot. Fascinatingly, they get their red color from being lower energy than regular lightning, which is often white. The first recorded sighting is from 1886, although there may have been earlier sightings we dont know about.
#9: Naked Eye Supernova
When a star dies, if its big enough it will go supernova. This is one of the highest energy explosions in the universe, producing as much light as a galaxy. In the Milky Way, we think they happen approximately 3 times a century. Despite this, its remarkably rare to spot one with the naked eye. The last we spotted within our own galaxy was in 1604. In 1987, the southern hemisphere was able to see one by eye, which occurred in the Large Magellanic Cloud. So most people will live without ever spotting one, making those who do extremely lucky.
#8: Hearing a Whale Song
If you scuba dive often, then hearing whales haunting songs might be a relatively common occurrence. Most of us rarely scuba dive, making it a sound most people wont hear. Modern science has discovered that marine mammals depend on sound; its how they talk to one another and find food. Additionally, these sounds elicit strong emotional responses in humans. Unfortunately, our technology is polluting the oceans with noise. If more people heard whale songs, we might all become more conscious of pollution. With many species of whales being endangered, like the sperm whale, its an experience that is becoming increasingly rarer.
#7: Salar de Uyuni After Rain
The worlds largest salt flat is Salar de Uyuni, which lies in southern Bolivia. Its the remains of evaporated prehistoric lakes, stretching over 4,000 square miles. This playa attracts tons of visitors all year round, but only those who go during the rainy season between December and February are likely to see it turn into the worlds largest mirror. In fairness, people who live nearby will potentially see it once a year. Most humans will need both effort and luck to see the glorious sight. When the conditions are just right for this to occur, all youll see for miles is water and the skys reflection, making it one huge mirror..
#6: Meteor Storms
While meteor showers themselves are semi-common, intense meteor storms are much harder to spot. The most famous is the Leonids. The showers occur annually, but their intense storms only come approximately every 33 years. So there are only 3 chances a century to see them. Theyre particularly active showers, where you can see over 1,000 meteors hourly. The last happened in 2002, and the next is predicted to come in the early 2030s. If you manage to live to 2098, youll get to see the monumental Draconids meteor storm. This will include over 20,000 meteors an hour, making for a phenomenal light show.
#5: Transit of Mercury
As we all remember from science class, Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun. Approximately 13 or 14 times a century, Mercury passes directly between the Sun and Earth. This previously happened in 2019, but will happen again in 2032. Its not the rarest planet transit, but effort and planning is needed to spot it. Venus on the other hand, has a stranger transit. It will transit twice in about 8 years, then not again for more than 100. It last transitioned in 2012, but wont happen again until 2117, when most of us will unfortunately be dead.
#4: A Golden Conjunction
Usually, the solar systems planets are spread far and wide across the night sky. In 2040, five of them will be within a 10-degree patch of the sky in what some term a golden conjunction. Mercury, Venus, Mars, Saturn, and Jupiter will be bunched up in the night sky. Youll probably need a telescope to see it, but thankfully, youve got years to prepare. Great conjunctions are much more frequent, happening every two decades. Theyre not as interesting, however, since only Saturn and Jupiter align. If you want to see six planets in the sky simultaneously, youll have to live to 2080. Theyll be spread across an 82-degree patch, though.
#3: The Serengeti Great Migration
Serengeti National Park resides within Tanzania in Eastern Africa. Every year, millions of animals migrate clockwise, from the south Serengeti to the Masai Mara in Kenya. Wildebeest are the dominant animal, but tons of zebras and gazelles join them. They travel 500 miles in total, making it the biggest migration on Earth. Despite happening annually, most people dont live in East Africa. As such, few people will observe it in their lifetimes. Unfortunately, humans are causing the ecosystem to decline. If this trend continues, it might not be possible for future generations to see the phenomenal sight.
#2: Total Lunar Eclipse
A solar eclipse happens somewhere on Earth approximately every 18 months. This is when the Moon obscures the Sun from Earth. In one spot, they only come every 360 to 410 years. So, if you wanna see one, youll need to move. Lunar eclipses, on the other hand, are when the Moon moves into Earths shadow. We get between 2 and 5 of these every year, but total lunar eclipses occur a maximum of twice a year. Despite their frequency, you need to get clear skies to spot them, making many go unnoticed. Thankfully, they can last for two hours, giving you a decently sized window.
#1: Halleys Comet
The most famous comet in Earths history is easily Halleys Comet. Humans have observed it since at least 240 BC, but it was astronomer Edward Halley who in 1705 realised it was the same comet reappearing regularly. It appears in the sky every 72 to 80 years. The most recent sighting was in 1986, meaning itll come back in 2061. This huge gap means millions of humans will never get a chance to see it. Even Halley only saw it once in his lifetime, meaning he never knew if the return he predicted came true.
What rare event would you like to see most? Let us know in the comments below!
