I know this probably will not happen during the lifetime of the planets involved, but hypothetically, if the planets would be around forever, wouldn't they all be aligned at a given point? This would happen once every X years?
2007-07-11 08:25:36 · 8 answers · asked by rickpetralia 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Yes they would. On 5 May 2000 Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn (plus the Sun and the Moon) were aligned.
2007-07-11 08:28:40 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The planets will all approximately align to within a few degrees of each other every so often. But if you mean perfect stright line alignment, that depends on whether the ratio of their orbital periods is a rational or irrational number. If the ratios of all pairs of orbital periods is rational, then they will come into perfect alignment. If even one of these ratios is an irrational number, then all planets will never perfectly align.
2007-07-11 09:58:12 · answer #2 · answered by Jeffrey K 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ask your English instructor how s/he might experience approximately an astronomer commenting that Shakespeare's works have been quite written by utilising Dostoyevsky? The planets can on no account type a on the instant line, as their orbits are tilted with admire to a minimum of one yet another. if actuality be told, use of the interest "align" is regarded as a surefire tip off one is handling a medical illiterate
2016-09-29 13:00:20 · answer #3 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why don't we get a full understanding of the structure of the solar system.
In astronomy, we define the plane of the solar system as the ecliptic -- the apparent path that the Sun makes on the sky as the Earth orbits it -- the ecliptic is nothing more than a projection of the Earth's orbit on the sky.
All of the planets orbit the Sun (except Pluto) nearly in this same plane -- however, not exactly in this same plane.
The odds strongly favor that an exact planetary alignment will NEVER occur throughout the entire history of the solar system.
2007-07-11 09:49:01 · answer #4 · answered by Grasshopper 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
They align (more or less) about every 176 years. But it's not a straight line, as each planet's orbital plane is a little different.
2007-07-11 08:29:43 · answer #5 · answered by quantumclaustrophobe 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
They have been and they will be aligned again.
2007-07-15 07:00:41 · answer #6 · answered by johnandeileen2000 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes it will happen
2007-07-11 08:36:08 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes, it would.
2007-07-11 08:33:26 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋