From celestial wonders to natural phenomena, the world offers rare spectacles most people will never witness. Join us as we count down incredible events that only happen once in a lifetime! Our list includes fleeting cosmic occurrences, extraordinary natural migrations, and stunning atmospheric phenomena that require perfect timing and location to experience.
00:00Astronomers believed that they could use the transit of Venus to answer one of the most pressing questions of the age, which was the size of the solar system.
00:09Welcome to Ms. Mojo. And today, we're counting down our picks for rare events, which most people are lucky to even get one chance to see.
00:16Told to see a total solar eclipse is a defining moment in one's life.
00:23Number 10. Red Jellyfish Sprite Lightning.
00:26Yeah, very big jellyfish. It's pretty. Very pretty.
00:33It indeed looks like a jellyfish with many tentacles.
00:37Most people have seen lightning at one point in their lives. How many of us have seen lightning jellyfish sprites, though?
00:43These are huge red structures high in the atmosphere, which only occur during strong storms.
00:48Sprites of many different forms appear.
00:51They can stretch for miles across the sky in a beautiful bright red color.
00:55It all happens in less than a second, making them exceedingly hard to spot.
01:00Fascinatingly, they get their red color from being lower energy than regular lightning, which is often white.
01:06Seen up close. They have a variety of shapes.
01:09The first recorded sighting is from 1886, although there may have been earlier sightings we don't know about.
01:14This is all what science is about. It's just this excitement and trying to understand how they are formed.
01:20Number 9. Naked Eye Supernova.
01:23When a star dies, if it's big enough, it will go supernova.
01:27This is one of the highest energy explosions in the universe, producing as much light as a galaxy.
01:32But if you have a nearby supernova, an exploding star, it can send a shock wave through this molecular cloud,
01:38triggering its gravitational collapse.
01:43In the Milky Way, we think they happen approximately three times a century.
01:48Despite this, it's remarkably rare to spot one with the naked eye.
01:51A star and supernova.
01:53The last we spotted within our own galaxy was in 1604.
01:57In 1987, the Southern Hemisphere was able to see one by eye, which occurred in the Large Magellanic Cloud.
02:03So most people will live without ever spotting one, making those who do extremely lucky.
02:08The resulting supernova would likely reach Earth in 51 years.
02:13It could either destroy life on Earth or enable humankind to achieve a new level of existence.
02:18Number 8. Hearing a Whale Song.
02:21What you're hearing is recorded whale song.
02:24It is sung by the male.
02:26He'll sing anywhere from six to as long as 30 minutes and then start again.
02:30If you scuba dive often, then hearing whales' haunting songs might be a relatively common occurrence.
02:36Most of us rarely scuba dive, making it a sound most people won't hear.
02:45Modern science has discovered that marine mammals depend on sound.
02:49It's how they talk to one another and find food.
02:51Could they be part of the mating ritual?
02:55Or is it pure communication beyond our comprehension?
03:00Additionally, these sounds elicit strong emotional responses in humans.
03:05Unfortunately, our technology is polluting the oceans with noise.
03:09If more people heard whale songs, we might all become more conscious of pollution.
03:13With many species of whales being endangered, like the sperm whale,
03:16it's an experience that is becoming increasingly rarer.
03:19A miracle, Mr. Scott.
03:21A miracle?
03:23That's yet to come.
03:24Number 7.
03:25Salar de Oyuni After Rain.
03:27The world's largest salt flat is Salar de Oyuni, which lies in southern Bolivia.
03:32It's the remains of evaporated prehistoric lakes, stretching over 4,000 square miles.
03:37At an elevation of almost 12,000 feet, the Salar was once several prehistoric lakes that dried out,
03:44creating these pentagons.
03:45This playa attracts tons of visitors all year round.
03:48But only those who go during the rainy season between December and February
03:52are likely to see it turn into the world's largest mirror.
03:55I feel like I'm hallucinating.
03:58In fairness, people who live nearby will potentially see it once a year.
04:02Most humans will need both effort and luck to see the glorious sight, though.
04:06When the conditions are just right for this to occur,
04:08all you see for miles is water and the sky's reflection, making it one huge mirror.
04:13It's like the largest, most perfect ice skating rink you can possibly imagine.
04:19Number 6.
04:20Meteor Storms.
04:22While meteor showers themselves are semi-common,
04:24intense meteor storms are much harder to spot.
04:27The most famous is the Leonids.
04:29Leonids.
04:30Leonids.
04:30Yeah, as to do with Leo, the constellation.
04:32So when we talk about meteor showers and you're like,
04:34that's a peculiar name, as to the constellation that you'll see them.
04:38The showers occur annually,
04:40but their intense storms only come approximately every 33 years.
04:44So there are only three chances a century to see them.
04:47They're particularly active showers,
04:49where you can see over a thousand meteors hourly.
04:52The last happened in 2002,
04:54and the next is predicted to come in the early 2030s.
04:57Many scientists believe that life was seeded on Earth by comets and meteors,
05:01and this is the first time we've really had a chance
05:03to look for those signs of the seeds of life in such a storm.
05:07If you manage to live to 2098,
05:09you'll get to see the monumental Draconids meteor storm.
05:12This will include over 20,000 meteors an hour,
05:15making for a phenomenal light show.
05:18I feel like we're forgetting something important.
05:20Number 5.
05:21Transit of Mercury.
05:23What happens during this journey?
05:26So basically, it's exactly that.
05:28It's quite simple.
05:29Mercury goes across the face of the sun.
05:32As we all remember from science class,
05:34Mercury is the closest planet to the sun.
05:36Approximately 13 or 14 times a century,
05:39Mercury passes directly between the sun and Earth.
05:42This previously happened in 2019,
05:44but will happen again in 2032.
05:47It happens only, you know, 13 times,
05:50and that's Mercury.
05:51And the other thing is,
05:51we have to remember that there are only two planets between us and the sun.
05:55It's not the rarest planet transit,
05:57but effort and planning is needed to spot it.
05:59Venus, on the other hand, has a stranger transit.
06:02It will transit twice in about eight years,
06:05then not again for more than 100.
06:07It last transitioned in 2012,
06:09but won't happen again until 2117,
06:12when most of us will unfortunately be dead.
06:14The next time Venus does it is 2117,
06:17so we're not going to see that happen for quite a while.
06:20Number 4.
06:21A golden conjunction.
06:22A conjunction in astronomy is when two bodies appear
06:25at their closest point from our perspective on Earth.
06:28Usually, the solar system's planets are spread far and wide across the night sky.
06:33In 2040, five of them will be within a 10-degree patch of the sky
06:36in what's some term a golden conjunction.
06:39But if you are planning to catch a glimpse of this rare phenomenon,
06:42make sure you are ready,
06:44as it won't be back again until 2040.
06:47Mercury, Venus, Mars, Saturn, and Jupiter
06:50will be bunched up in the night sky.
06:52You'll probably need a telescope to see it,
06:54but thankfully you've got years to prepare.
06:56Great conjunctions are much more frequent,
06:58happening every two decades.
07:00They're not as interesting, however,
07:02since only Saturn and Jupiter align.
07:04And we'll be able to see Jupiter and Saturn collide.
07:06If you want to see six planets in the sky simultaneously,
07:09you'll have to live to 2080.
07:11They'll be spread across an 82-degree patch, though.
07:14The sky might seem static, but it's constantly moving,
07:17so don't miss it and keep looking up.
07:19Number 3.
07:20The Serengeti Great Migration.
07:21Serengeti National Park resides within Tanzania in eastern Africa.
07:26Every year, millions of animals migrate clockwise
07:29from the South Serengeti to the Maasai Mara in Kenya.
07:32After seven months away, the herd is returning.
07:36Wildebeest are the dominant animal,
07:38but tons of zebras and gazelles join them.
07:40They travel 500 miles in total,
07:42making it the biggest migration on Earth.
07:44Stretching back some 25 miles,
07:48it will take weeks for all the wildebeest to arrive.
07:51Despite happening annually,
07:53most people don't live in East Africa.
07:55As such, few people will observe it in their lifetimes.
07:58Unfortunately, humans are causing the ecosystem to decline.
08:02If this trend continues,
08:03it might not be possible for future generations
08:05to see the phenomenal sight.
08:07And nothing will stop them now.
08:09Number 2.
08:11Total Lunar Eclipse.
08:12A solar eclipse happens somewhere on Earth
08:14approximately every 18 months.
08:16Total solar eclipses happen all the time.
08:19Once every 18 months or so, on average.
08:22In theory, you could see dozens of them in your lifetime.
08:25This is when the moon obscures the sun from Earth.
08:28In one spot, they only come every 360 to 410 years.
08:33So if you want to see one, you'll need to move.
08:35The one coming up on April 8th
08:37may very well be the only one you will ever experience
08:41if you're lucky.
08:42Lunar eclipses, on the other hand,
08:44are when the moon moves into the Earth's shadow.
08:46We get between two and five of these every year,
08:49but total lunar eclipses occur a maximum of twice a year.
08:53The first total lunar eclipse of 2025 is on its way.
08:57Despite their frequency,
08:59you need to get clear skies to spot them,
09:01making many go unnoticed.
09:03Thankfully, they can last for two hours,
09:05giving you a decently sized window.
09:07The good news is for tonight's lunar eclipse,
09:09you do not need any special equipment.
09:12All you need are clear skies and clear eyes.
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09:31Number one, Halley's Comet.
09:33It streaks across the heavens once every 76 years.
09:37It's been a wonder, a terror, a mystery.
09:40The most famous comet in Earth's history
09:42is easily Halley's Comet.
09:44Humans have observed it since at least 240 BC,
09:48but it was astronomer Edward Halley
09:50who in 1705 realized it was the same comet
09:53reappearing regularly.
09:55Astronomers identify the comet
09:56as this tiny smudge on their photographic plates.
09:59This is the first evidence that Halley
10:02is once again heading back our way.
10:05It appears in the sky every 72 to 80 years.
10:08The most recent sighting was in 1986,
10:11meaning it'll come back in 2061.
10:14This huge gap means millions of humans
10:16will never get a chance to see it.
10:18So don't fail to tell your children
10:19of Halley's next visit in 2061.
10:24And tell them to tell their children too.
10:27Even Halley only saw it once in his lifetime,
10:29meaning he never knew
10:30if the return he predicted came true.
10:32So these are mementos of creation,
10:35pieces left over from the origin of the solar system,
10:37pristine, primordial matter.
10:39What rare event would you like to see the most?
