2007-11-15 14:53:36 · 4 answers · asked by wertyadi 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
8 planets now, not 9 (Pluto is no longer a planet, it was demoted to dwarf planet status in August 2006).
The most recent alignment of the most planets aligning with the sun (at least as close as they can given that all the planets have orbits tilted to the ecliptic by some amount) was May 3, 2000 when Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, and the moon aligned within 20 degrees of the sun.
2007-11-15 15:24:26 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
They were not all on the same side of the sun, by the way. And in antiquity, the sun and moon were described as "planets" because the word was used for all the bodies that moved against the background of the sky. Eight including the sun and moon, on different sides of the sun, and within 26 degrees. Not what I'd call a line.
2007-11-15 15:45:16 · answer #2 · answered by Choose a bloody best answer. It's not hard. 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
5/5/2000 there were 8 bodies lined up. Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Moon, Mars, Jupiter & Saturn.
However, in recorded history all 9 planets have not been in line and the odds are
8.6 X 10^46 years which is so improbable that it will never happen
2007-11-15 15:01:51 · answer #3 · answered by IamCount 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It has never happened and mathematically will never happen within the 12 billion year life span of the Sun.
2007-11-15 15:20:58 · answer #4 · answered by Troasa 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋