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We are lucky enough to witness a number of celestial events every year. While not all events are visible to the naked eye and may only occur in certain locations, we're constantly reminded that we're part of the universe. From meteor showers, to eclipses, and everything in between, there are some astronomical events that are indeed very rare, but if you're willing to wait a few years, you might just witness some of the most anticipated ones.
In this gallery, we list the coolest and most unique celestial events that will take place in the next 50 years. Click on and save the dates!
Saturn is known for its rings. It is true that over millions of years, the planet's rings have been slowly pulled into its atmosphere.
In March, Saturn tilted as it orbited the Sun and the edge of its rings aligned with Earth, creating an optical illusion that made the rings appear to vanish.
This viewpoint illusion was actually a great opportunity to observe Saturn's moons more clearly. Then, in 2032, the orientation of Saturn will change and we'll be able to observe the rings’ underside, which is a pretty unique opportunity as well!
The Perseid meteor shower is linked to the comet Swift-Tuttle. It occurs every year from late July to August, as Earth passes through the comet's debris.
In 2024, the peak activity of the Perseid was on the night of Aug 12. However, if you want to witness something really special, you'll have to wait a few more years...
While this is a yearly event, the 2028 meteor shower is highly anticipated. This is because Earth will pass through a dense cloud of meteoric dust released by the comet back in 1479, which is expected to cause a spectacular "meteor storm."
The Leonids are another annual meteor shower. However, a spectacular meteor storm occurs about every 33 years. This happens when our planet passes through clouds of debris left by the comet Tempel–Tuttle.
The event has attracted many people over the years, as the meteors can be seen with the naked eye. All you need is a dark sky and some patience.
The next Leonid meteor storm is expected to occur from November 6 to November 30, 2031. If you can only observe it for one night, aim for November 18, as this is when it's expected to be at its peak.
Mercury passing directly between the Earth and the Sun is a pretty rare event that occurs about 13 to 14 times per century.
The last time we could witness Mercury as a small dot moving across the sun was on November 11, 2019.
The next Transit of Mercury will occur on November 13, 2032, and the subsequent one in 2039. However, they won't be visible from North America. If that's where you live, you'll have to wait until 2049, or 2052 if you happen to live on the West Coast, to witness the event.
A super blue moon is a rare phenomenon that occurs when there is a combination of a full moon, a supermoon, and a blue moon.
A supermoon is observed when a full moon is at its closest point to our planet. These occur three to four times a year. A blue moon, on the other hand, is rarer. This is when two full moons occur in a single month.
If you missed the last super blue moon back in 2023, you'll have the chance to experience the phenomenon in January and March 2037.
Planetary alignments occur when two or more planets align in the sky (from our perspective on Earth). This is also known as a planetary conjunction.
For more than two planets to align in the sky is pretty uncommon. After all, the paths of their orbits must coincide at one point.
The last time there was a planetary alignment was in January 2024. And while a couple will occur in 2025, the next time we'll see five naked-eye planets aligned (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn) will be in 2040.
The last 'Great' Conjunction, where Jupiter and Saturn could be seen aligned together in the sky, occurred in December 2020. The celestial event is also known as the "Christmas Star."
Before 2020, the last time the two planets passed this close to each other was nearly 400 years ago. And it has been nearly 800 years since they were visible at night!
So when will Jupiter and Saturn be visible this close again? The answer is November 2040. If you miss it, you can observe it again in March 2080.
This celestial event occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun. On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse was seen across North America. These celestial events are not witnessed simultaneously in every part of the planet.
The next total solar eclipse will take place on August 12, 2026, and will be mostly visible in parts of southwestern Europe and the Arctic region, and partially visible in North America, Western Africa, and some parts of Europe.
On August 12, 2045 a special eclipse will happen. Dubbed the "Greatest American Eclipse," it will last six minutes and four seconds, and will be visible coast-to-coast across 12 states, as well as some locations in Central and South America.
A leap day occurs every four years, so that's a rare event on its own. So, what are the chances of a full moon occurring on February 29th? Very low indeed. The probability of this happening Is twice every 236 years.
The rare celestial event has only been recorded a few times over the years; in 1504, 1600, 1752, 1820, and 1972.
The next full moon on leap day is expected to occur in 2048. If you miss this event, you won't have the chance to witness it again, as there won't be another full moon on February 29th until 2124, and then 2268.
Halley's Comet passes every 75–79 years and it's visible to the naked eye from Earth.
The last time Halley’s Comet could be seen from our planet was in 1986.
Halley’s Comet has been moving towards the Sun since 2023 and it's expected to be visible from Earth in 2061. The event will occur in late spring/early summer and will mostly be visible in the Northern Hemisphere.
Sources: (Space.com) (NASA) (Forbes) (Star Walk) (Listverse)
See also: The greatest discoveries and advancements in the history of astronomy
Upcoming celestial events you should be excited about!
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LIFESTYLE Astronomy
We are lucky enough to witness a number of celestial events every year. While not all events are visible to the naked eye and may only occur in certain locations, we're constantly reminded that we're part of the universe. From meteor showers, to eclipses, and everything in between, there are some astronomical events that are indeed very rare, but if you're willing to wait a few years, you might just witness some of the most anticipated ones.
In this gallery, we list the coolest and most unique celestial events that will take place in the next 50 years. Click on and save the dates!