what could potentially happen if the earth sun and center of the galaxy align?

Question

Is there a subtle force coming from the center of the galaxy that could throw our earth out of wack?

Answer 1

John R has already pointed out the Mayan mumbo-jumbo nonsense of "alignment" of two celestial objects already. You could draw a line from every single one of the 200 billion or more stars in the Milky Way to the Galactic Cebntre at any time (you don't have to wait till 2012), and say they are each aligned with Sagittarius A* and it would mean nothing.

It takes three celestial objects to be in a straight line with one another for alignment to have any meaning. We have found a few exoplanets when this happens occasionally, through gravitational microlensing. But the idea that fortuitous temporary lining up of celestial objects is in any way a portent of disaster is just so much astrological superstitious nonsense.

Worse than that it is psuedo-science. Mystical-sounding phrases such as "higher energy levels" and "subtle forces" are all that Mayan Calendar prophecy adherents can offer by way of scientific explanation of the doom they are convinced is about to befall us. These are not terms known to science, are not defined and advance our understanding by precisely zilch.

The supermassive black hole at the centre of our galaxy (or indeed any galaxy) is only capable to swallowing matter in its immediate vicinity. The Sun is 26,000 light years away and no subtle force is going to reach across that huge distance and suck it down a celestial plughole.

If it was capable of doing that, why hasn't it already sucked everything else that is 25,900 light years or less away from it down the same vortex? Given it hasn't done that, why would it pick on us for its breakfast? Why pick this particular star out of the 200 billion stars in the galaxy when there are others in its vicinity that could provide a tasty snack?

So I suggest we are perfectly safe from predatory black holes seeking us out from our hideyhole in the Orion Spiral Arm and we are equally safe from marauding giants storming about at the top of a beanstalk, beating their chests and bellowing "Fee Fi Fo Fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman!"

These are both Fairy Stories meant to scare people. Let's recognise them for what they are.

Answer 2

Well, I don't know exactly what you mean by a subtle force, exactly, but scientists and astronomers seem to believe that at the center of our galaxy there is a dense mass of stars and lots of dust with probably a black hole right smack in the very center of all of it. The dense mass of stars is so bright that it is almost impossible to make out the individual ones that make it up.

Now, the galaxy we are in is the Milky Way Galaxy, and it is 1500 Light Years across from one side to the other. in the center is this big ball of densely packed stars. radiation outward from the ball of stars are sprial arm configurations made up of lots of stars. Our Sun is one of those stars and it is located about 1/3 of the way out on one of those spiral arms. Figure a radius of 750 Light Years for the Galaxy and you will see that the straight line distance from Earth to the center must be about 250 Light Years...and if you bend the distance into a curved shape like a spiral arm, maybe that distance goes to as much as 350 Light Years to the center.

So, you plan, in this question to move the Sun and all of its planets and moons 350 Light Years to the center of the Galaxy? Wow. I can't imagine what force would be required to do such a thing...

Now..., alignment... Hmm-m-m, wonder what alignment means...
As in a straight line? But the spiral arms are curved, not straight. You have lost me somewhere, and I cannot follow the question you are asking. Guess I am just confused.

Thank goodness this is just all a suppose type thing, and not real.

Answer 3

nothing would happen
gravity weakens with distance as far as we know
the strongest gravity force comes from our moon causing the tides, followed by our sun, contributing to this 'a little' in having the tides a few centimeters higher or lower.

Next on the list would be planets being aligned with the sun enforcing the pull.
fact is that there was such a constellation (i think that was in the 1980's or 1990's) and no significant change in the tides occurred (i think it was a fraction of a millimeter or so)

The sun and the attractor in the galactic center orbit each other every 220 to 250 million years.
both have a huge mass, which means its VERY stable, and the gravitational pull is always there and must not align anymore.
i cannot imagine any scenario which would cause a significant change in this.

Answer 4

nothing would happen
gravity weakens with distance as far as we know
the strongest gravity force comes from our moon causing the tides, followed by our sun, contributing to this 'a little' in having the tides a few centimeters higher or lower.

Next on the list would be planets being aligned with the sun enforcing the pull.
fact is that there was such a constellation (i think that was in the 1980's or 1990's) and no significant change in the tides occured (i think it was a fraction of a millimeter or so)

The sun and the attractor in the galactic center orbit each other every 220 to 250 million years.
both have a hughe mass, which means its VERY stable, and the gravitational pull is always there and must not align anymore.
i cannot imagine any scenario which would cause a significant change in this.

Answer 5

There is one theory that says that a rare alignment of the Earth, sun, and galactic centre in 2012 may cause a pole shift.
Pole shift theory says that the axis of rotation of Earth has not always been at its present-day locations or that the axis will not persist there; in other words, that its physical poles had been or will be shifted.
This is not to be confused with plate tectonics, nor with continental drift. Nor should this be be confused with geomagnetic reversal, the periodic reversal of the earth's magnetic field (effectively switching the north and south poles). Geomagnetic reversal has more acceptance in the scientific community than pole shift theories.

Answer 6

No the gravity from the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy hold our solar sytem in place. There's no way for our solar syatem to "align" with the center of the galaxy. If that happened, more than likely the sun and planets would get eaten by a black hole!

Answer 7

First of all, do you know how for it is to the center of our Galaxy?
Our Sun is at the center of our solar system, and we are locate way out on one of the many spiral arms, and our Galaxy rotates around the out side of our Galaxy, so know matter where we are on out trip around the Galaxy, you could draw a straight line from our Sun to the center of our Galaxy.

Answer 8

judging from some of the questions that I hear on answers, I would have to say that the planet Earth is already out of wack, and there is no getting it back on track.

Answer 9

Nothing. The influence of the massive black hole(s) in the core of our galaxy influences galactic structures nearby, within say 100 light years, but we are at least 26,000 light years from the core.

Answer 10

Nothing would happen or maybe your gray matter will increase. One of those will sure be happening.