Since the dawn of civilization, our ancestors have gazed upon the stars in amazement and intrigue. For centuries, mankind has held the universe beyond our planet to such a degree that we have created myths and legends based on the natural glittering wonders that grace our presence every night. With the advancements of modern technology, we gained more and more knowledge about the mysterious marvels our known universe presents. Considering that modern society is on the precipice of another Age of Discovery and Exploration with the advent of recent accomplishments by SpaceX and NASA, it is more than relevant to know about some of the rarest astronomical events in history.
LEONID METEOR STORMS
The first sightings of the Leonid Meteor Storms are given credit to Chinese Astronomers way back in 902 AD. The meteors were ushered in the Earth’s atmosphere by the comet Temple-Tuttle or Leonid. The meteors are reportedly annually radiating across the constellation Leo during mid-November. The shower can sometimes deposit particles of around 12-13 tons on the face of the Earth and can even be accompanied by storms. The study of this annual meteor shower has helped a great deal in acquiring much-needed information with regards to meteors.
HALLEY’S COMET
This discovery of this dazzling comet is given credit to astronomer Edmund Halley in 1531. The Halley’s Comet is one of the Earth’s rare visitors with an elliptical orbit that has been recorded to have an approaching trajectory of at least 46 million miles to the Sun. Its roundabout along the Sun gives us an astonishing sight that can display radiation of about 9 miles in length and 5 miles in width. The next time we’ll have the opportunity to see a glimpse of this majestic sight is in the year 2061.
THE TRANSIT OF VENUS
The Transit of Venus is when the planet Venus travels between the Earth and the Sun. As this occurs, we get an amazing sight of Venus as it blacks a portion of the Sun while it travels across it. The transit occurs every eight years, and its discovery is given credit to astronomer Jeremiah Horrocks. The event usually lasts for several hours and has been a huge proponent in the study of the proper distances between our home planet and the Sun.
THE TRIPLE JOVIAN ECLIPSE ON JUPITER
Jupiter is one of the larger planets in our solar system. Known science reports that the massive planet is primarily made out of several gasses. More than the huge gas planet, what’s amazing are the 16 moons that orbit around it. Most notable, among which, would be Europa, Io, and Callista for the rare occasion that these three would align, creating a triple eclipse. With one of NASA’s most valuable investments, the Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers have yet to obtain rare images of this occurrence, but sightings of it have been made. The initial sighting of this rare eclipse is said to have been by Astronomer Ole Romer.
THE ALIGNING OF FIVE PLANETS AND OUR MOON
The alignment of the planets has always been a part of religious beliefs by different religions all around the world. Though the superstition behind it may be out of fear, and who can blame our ancestors, seeing the moon and other planets darken our skies must have been a scary sight to behold. Nowadays, such sightings are considered to be one of the wonders that a person would get to see once in a lifetime. Though two or three planets align once every four years, the alignment of six planets would be one to marvel on. Personally, I would make tons of investments just to see such a sighting, though the alignment of the moon, Mercury, Mars, Venus, Saturn, and Jupiter is estimated to happen in 2040.
Photo Source: Astrophotography by Alex Conu, Instagram, The Conversation
Recent Comments