Top 10 rarest and most amazing astronomical phenomena

The constant movement of planets, the force of gravity and the evolution of stars become the cause of the formation of various astronomical phenomena. Some of them, under certain conditions, can be seen even with the naked eye. Other phenomena, which could have occurred even several centuries ago, testify to themselves in the form of comets flying by. Below is the top of the rarest and most amazing astronomical phenomena.

10. Comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko

The comet travels around the sun in six years. Its trajectory is under the gravitational influence of Jupiter. On the surface, formations of ice were found, which, as they approach the Sun, turn into vapor. The distance between the nearest point in the comet's orbit and the Earth is 525 million kilometers.

When approaching Neptune, the comet is hit by the influence of the planet's gravitational force.
Passing in their orbit past the Sun, the ice formations evaporate, forming vapor with dust particles. Comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko was discovered in 1969.

9. Leonids meteor shower

This phenomenon is observed when the orbits of the Earth and comet Tempel-Tuttle intersect. The periodicity of this comet is exactly 33 years. The stream is characterized by a large number of meteors passing through the atmosphere, the number of which can reach 100 thousand. The most famous meteor shower was observed in 1833.

8. Comet Hale-Bopp

Comet Hale-Bopp is considered the brightest in space. 1000 times brighter than Halley's comet. You can even observe it with the naked eye. According to scientists, the period of the comet's revolution around the Sun is 2392 years.

The comet was discovered on July 23, 1995 by American astronomers Alan Hale and Thomasos Bopp. The closest distance from which it flew near the Earth is 193 million kilometers. The comet's orbit is very difficult to predict, so it is difficult to say where it will be seen next time.

7. Halley's comet

Halley's comet is a short-period comet that returns to the Sun every 75 years. Named after the English astronomer Edmund Halley, who discovered the phenomenon in 1531. The comet follows an elliptical orbit. The travel distance from the sun ranges from 5 billion to 74 kilometers.

It is one of the brightest comets in the solar system. It can be easily seen even with the naked eye. The comet is 14 kilometers long and 8 kilometers wide. Most of the surface is covered with ice formations. Halley's comet last passed the Sun in 1986, and its next appearance is expected in 2061.

6. Comet ISON

Comet ISON is thought to be a circumsolar comet that came from the Oort Cloud at the edge of the solar system. It is the brightest comet of the first half of the 21st century. It was discovered on September 12, 2012 by two Russian astronomers. On November 28, 2013, the comet split into two parts.

The comet is believed to have passed 3.5 billion years before colliding with the Sun. At the same time, its weight was constantly increasing due to the accumulation of dust particles. Reaching a distance of 1 million kilometers from the Sun, the comet disintegrated.

5. Parade of planets

Such an astronomical phenomenon happens very rarely. So, according to the forecasts of scientists, the next parade of planets with the participation of Mars, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn and the Moon will occur in 2040.

In 2000, a parade of five planets (Mars, Saturn, Venus, Mercury and Jupiter) was recorded. In 2011, a parade of three planets was recorded (Jupiter, Mercury, Venus). The next time such a small parade of planets will happen in 2015.

4. Large white spot

Every 30 years, periodic storms form in Saturn's atmosphere. This phenomenon is also known as the Large White Oval. Such spots can reach several thousand kilometers in size. The reason for the phenomenon is believed to be a certain energy source that collides with the upper layers of the planet's atmosphere.

It is estimated that for every second of such a storm, ten flashes of lightning appear in Saturn's atmosphere. As a result, each lightning evaporates all moisture within a radius of 16 thousand kilometers. And as soon as everything evaporates, the lightning becomes more and more frequent. The strength of such lightning is 10 thousand times the Earth's equivalent.

3. The passage of Venus across the disk of the Sun

This astronomical phenomenon occurs when Venus passes between the Sun and Earth, covering a tiny portion of the solar disk. At this moment, the planet looks like a small black speck moving across the Sun.

This passage occurs every eight years. However, each time Venus passes in a different location. The planet follows the same trajectory every 110 years. In 2012, the last transit of Venus across the solar disk was recorded.

2. Blue Moon

The "Blue Moon" refers to the second full moon in one calendar month. This phenomenon occurs every two years. The difference between the two full moons is 29 days. Therefore, it is likely that such an event can be seen twice in one month. However, this happens very rarely.

In fact, the term "Blue Moon" has little to do with the actual color of the phenomenon. However, sometimes, due to a certain optical effect, the moon does appear blue. For example, in 1883, as a result of the eruption of the Indonesian volcano Krakatoa, a huge amount of volcanic ash was in the air, which made the moon appear blue.

1. Total Solar Eclipse

A solar eclipse can be observed several times a year. However, it is very rare to see a total solar eclipse. The essence of the phenomenon lies in the total eclipse of the Sun from the Earth by the Moon. The last time this phenomenon was observed in November 2012. Scientists predict the next time that a total solar eclipse will occur only in 138 years.

The moon is much closer to the sun than the earth. It is thanks to this fact that the inhabitants of the Earth have the opportunity to observe such an astronomical phenomenon.