Learn English – Word for a rare astronomic event usable as metaphor for rare life situations

I had to go to the reverse dictionary for this one.

From what I understand, a mixed metaphor is an example of a catachresis, but not all catachreses are mixed metaphors. Wikipedia says that "Catachresis is 'misapplication of a word, especially in a mixed metaphor' according to the Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory."

Here's Merriam-Webster's definition of the word:

• use of the wrong word for the context
• use of a forced and especially paradoxical figure of speech (as blind mouths)

It's hard to tell exactly what you're looking for. Are you looking for a word to describe:

“a huge discovery into the mystery of existence, the universe and stuff.”

(à la epiphany)? Or are you looking for a word that describes being on the verge of an epiphany, but not quite attaining it?

^{(Perhaps you're in that state right now, and you can't decide which?)}

Anyway, I'll offer two words – one for each. I don't know if these are exact fits, but they seem like they might be close:

satori: (Zen Buddhism) the state of sudden indescribable intuitive enlightenment

Although that word is of Japanese origin, it is found in many English dictionaries. The OED defines it as a sudden indescribable and uncommunicable inner experience of enlightenment, and lists this quotation:

When you have satori you are able to reveal a palatial mansion made of precious stones on a single blade of grass; but when you have no satori, a palatial mansion itself is concealed behind a simple blade of grass.

The second word is of French origin: presque vu. Although not nearly as prevalent in English dictionaries as its counterpart, déjà vu, it describes that I-almost-have-it, tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon. Presque vu literally means “almost seen;” Wikipedia describes it specifically in the context of not being able to recall a word:

presque vu (from the French for “almost seen”) is the failure to retrieve a word from memory, combined with partial recall and the feeling that retrieval is imminent. The phenomenon's name comes from the saying, “It's on the tip of my tongue.”

However, the Urban Dictionary¹ broadens that application somewhat, and defines it almost exactly as the phenomenon you describe in your question:

presque vu: The intense feeling of being at the brink of an epiphany. An extremely frustrating experience, since a breakthrough never arrives - and you are left without it, hoplessly [sic] dreaming it will show itself to you.

¹Not exactly the most authoritative source, I realize