The best 5 must experience events of 2023
There are many planned events conducted everywhere to celebrate and enjoy every year. Some things are past the control and perception of us humans. Here I have gather information on such top 5 natural phenomenons that occur across the globe annually.
1. the Great Migration
Animals of various species usually travel from one place to another on a regular basis for reasons such as change of climate, availability of food, matings seasons etc,.
The Great Migration is the movement of over two million wildebeests, along with large groups of zebras and gazelles across a 800 kilometer path from South of Serengeti to Masai Mara in the North and back again while facing various predators. With the birth of new calves between December and March in the area southeast of Seronera the herd attracts lots of predators like lions and hyenas. From the end of April till July the migration begins and moves towards the western corridor while crossing the Grumeti river filled with thousands of crocodiles. Later on, from August till September the herd crosses the Mara river and moves towards North to Masai Mara National Reserve. Finally again during October the herd will start moving back South to the Serengeti National Park and the cycle begins once again.
Best time and place to view this spectacle would be, if you choose the right part of the Serengeti: the southeast and Ndutu from December through to May, the Western Corridor from May to July, the Serengeti Mara area from July trough to October, and the northern Serengeti and Lobo area in October and November. To know more about Serengeti National park visit this page.
2. Bioluminescent Beaches
These are the beaches which has glowing water and sand as a result of the presence of bioluminescent plankton/algae in them. There are many beaches around the world with this algae, the most famous ones are,
- Vaadhoo Island, Maldives – Known for its glowing blue waves, which are caused by phytoplankton. The best time to visit is from April to November during the dry season.
- Mosquito Bay, Vieques Island, Puerto Rico – It is one of the brightest bioluminescent bays in the world, due to the high concentration of dinoflagellates. Its best seen during the darker nights of the new moon, between April and November.
- Gippsland Lakes, Victoria, Australia – Glow is caused by bioluminescent algae. Best time to visit would be during the winter months from June to September when the water is colder
- Havelock Island, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India – It is home to bioluminescent plankton, which makes the water glow at night. It’s best to visit between December and February when the weather is dry and the sea is calmer
- Toyama Bay, Japan – Known for its glowing firefly squid, which light up the water during their annual mating season in March.
- Bioluminescent Lagoon, Jamaica – It is home to dinoflagellates that create a stunning blue glow in the water.
- Luminous Beach, San Diego, USA – Known for its glowing sand caused by bioluminescent phytoplankton.
- Manasquan Beach, New Jersey, USA – It is home to bioluminescent dinoflagellates that creates a neon blue-green glow. Best to visit during the summer months from June to August, when the water temperature is warmer.
The visibility and presence of this glow depends on factors such as weather and time of the year, so it best advised to check in advance.
3. Cherry Blossoms
Cherry blossom trees, also known as Sakura trees, produce the stunning cherry blossoms that are adored by many. These blooms come in over 20 different varieties that can be found across the globe. During the springtime, cherry blossom trees are covered in delicate pink or white petals that last for only two weeks. This fleeting beauty has made the blooming of cherry blossoms a much-anticipated event in many parts of the world. The best time to view this stunning beauty is between February and March.
Cherry blossom trees have been cultivated in many parts of the world, such as in Japan, United States, Canada, and Europe. In 1912, Japan gifted thousands of cherry blossom trees to Washington, D.C., which has now become the most famous display of cherry blossoms in the United States. The blooming of cherry blossoms in D.C. is celebrated with a large festival that attracts visitors from all over the world. Apart from the above mentioned countries, Cherry blossoms are also grown in South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, China, New Zealand, India etc,.
You can find a detailed blog on Cherry blossoms and please to find them in my previous blog. Click here to read more on cherry blossoms.
4. Eclipses
Solar Eclipse
This occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun thereby hiding the view of the Sun from the Earth. There are four different types of solar eclipse namely – total, partial, hybrid, and annular. The type of the eclipse depends on the distance between the Moon and Earth.
Total eclipse: when the Sun is fully covered by the moon with zero visibility. Partial eclipse: when the sun is covered only at a particular angle by the moon and the rest of the sun remains visible from Earth. Annular eclipse: When the sun is fully covered in the center by the moon and the entire border (outer ring) of the sun is visible as the moon is passing through its furthest point from Earth. Hybrid eclipse: This can either be similar to a total or annular eclipse to the viewer depending on the place the eclipse is seen from.
This year we can witness a total solar eclipse on 20th April 2023 which can be seen in Australia, East & South Asia, the Pacific Ocean, Antarctica, and the Indian Ocean, and an annular eclipse on 14th October 2023 which will pass through Central, South, and North America and can be visible in Mexico, some parts of the United States and many Central and South American countries. People from Western Hemisphere can also see these Solar Eclipses. The type of eclipse seen from Earth depends on the location it is seen from, not all places will see the eclipse the same way.
Lunar Eclipse
This occurs when the Earth is between the Sun and the Moon thereby it hides the Moon with its shadow. There are three types of Lunar eclipse namely – total, partial, and penumbral.
Total eclipse: occurs when the moon is fully covered in Earth’s shadow and completely dim. Partial eclipse is when only some areas of the Moon are covered in Earth’s shadow. A penumbral eclipse happens when the Moon crosses only the outer shadow of the Earth and so is not covered by shadow at all, it only dims the Moon very little and crosses soon.
This year we can experience a penumbral lunar eclipse on 5th May 2023 which can be seen in Africa, Asia, and Australia and a second partial lunar eclipse occurs on 28th October 2023 which will be visible in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia.
5. Northern Lights
Northern lights or the Aurora Borealis occur in the poles due to the interaction between the Earth’s magnetic force and the particles from the Sun colliding in the Earth’s atmosphere. These are a form of different shades of colorful lights visible in the sky. They are typically a combination of green, pink, and purple colors and may include shades of red and blue at times. These lights are commonly visible in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, and Canada during the fall and winter months between September and April. When there is high solar activity, these northern lights become a very common sight and such activities occur typically every 11 years. The last such high solar activity was in 2013 and so is expected to see similar or better results in the 2024-2025 period. Also, since these lights are caused naturally, their visibility and occurring patterns cannot be predicted.
There are also Southern lights or the Aurora Australis which are very similar to the Northern lights, these can be seen in the places around Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand. These can be seen all year round but are frequent between May to August and during the spring in September.