So, while watching the solar eclipse, or the lunar eclipse, for example, one might wonder, if there might be a point wherein all the planets and the sun, are in the same straight line, giving a MEGA ECLIPSE. Although this might sound real, let's see, if it is ....
Even if the planets did all align in a perfectly straight line, it would have negligible effects on the earth. Fictional and pseudo-science authors like to claim that a planetary alignment would mean that all of the gravitational fields of the planets add together to make something massive that interferes with life on earth. In truth, the gravitational pulls of the planets on earth are so weak that they have no significant effect on life on earth. There are only two solar system objects with enough gravity to significantly effect earth: the moon and the sun. The sun’s gravity is strong because the sun is so massive. The moon’s gravity is strong because the moon is so close. The sun’s gravity causes earth’s yearly orbit and therefore its seasons. The moon’s gravity is primarily responsible for the daily ocean tides. The near alignment of the sun and the moon does have an effect on earth, because their gravitational fields are so strong. This partial alignment occurs every full moon and new moon, and it leads to extra strong tides called “spring tides“. The word “spring” here refers to the fact that the water seems to leap up the shore with the extra strong tides every two weeks, and not that they occur only in the spring season.
Is it possible ?
The planets in our solar system never line up in one perfectly straight line like they show in the movies. If you look at a two-dimensional plot of the planets and their orbits on a piece of paper you may be lead to believe that all the planets will circle around to the same line eventually. In reality, the planets do not all orbit perfectly in the same plane. Instead, they swing about on different orbits in three dimensional space. For this reason, they will never be perfectly aligned. It’s like waiting for a swarm of flies circling your head to all line up. It is not going to happen. When astronomers use words like “planetary alignment”, they don’t mean a literal lining up. They just mean that some of the planets are in the same general region of the sky. And this type of “alignment” almost never happens to all the planets, but instead happens to two or three planets at one time.
Even if the planets did all align in a perfectly straight line, it would have negligible effects on the earth. Fictional and pseudo-science authors like to claim that a planetary alignment would mean that all of the gravitational fields of the planets add together to make something massive that interferes with life on earth. In truth, the gravitational pulls of the planets on earth are so weak that they have no significant effect on life on earth. There are only two solar system objects with enough gravity to significantly effect earth: the moon and the sun. The sun’s gravity is strong because the sun is so massive. The moon’s gravity is strong because the moon is so close. The sun’s gravity causes earth’s yearly orbit and therefore its seasons. The moon’s gravity is primarily responsible for the daily ocean tides. The near alignment of the sun and the moon does have an effect on earth, because their gravitational fields are so strong. This partial alignment occurs every full moon and new moon, and it leads to extra strong tides called “spring tides“. The word “spring” here refers to the fact that the water seems to leap up the shore with the extra strong tides every two weeks, and not that they occur only in the spring season.So, which is the closest point of approach?
The closest that the eight planets will come to being aligned will occur on May 6, 2492. Additionally, the five planets Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, Venus and Mercury will be in the same part of the sky on 8 September 2040. While these partial alignments have no effect on earth, they can make for interesting nights for star gazers who know what to look for.
Furthermore, “planetary alignment” depends on your viewpoint. If three planets are in the same region of sky from earth’s point of view, they are not necessarily in the same region of sky form the sun’s point of view. Alignment is therefore an artifact of a viewpoint and not something fundamental about the planets themselves.
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