is there ever going to be a time when the planets are going to be aligned in a straight line?

Question

like the planets in a straight like facing each other : example: sun-> O ......... <- dots are planets

Answer 1

I have no idea but I found this question interesting. I am only commenting to keep track of the answers. i hope you don't mind -=)

Answer 2

If you mean all eight planets, then I don't know. Apparently five planets lining up is pretty spectacular. In April 2002, Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Saturn were in a small bunch in the western sky and was Jupiter also nearby. The reason this is notable is because it is only predicted to happen again in 2040, 2060 and 2100. As well, it happens that these are the planets that are visible to the naked eye. So five visible planets is a pretty rare and spectacular event. Obviously, with less planets, these events occur more frequently. On a monthly basis, the most excited I get is the moon being close to Mars or Jupiter. As for affecting your emotions, well that's a personal thing and I suppose it could affect people in different, and hopefully positive, ways. However, planetary alightment or conjunction has been predicted to cause earthquakes and floods and other such negative events which of course is all nonsense. Edit: I should point out as has been mentioned already, "alignments" are not exact but rather a close grouping. Edit2: Actually I found that in 1983, all eight planets (including Pluto when it was a planet) were within 96 degrees of each other in the sky. Maybe someone else can show how rare that might be because I don't know.

Answer 3

Somebody calculated this the other day and basically the answer is no. It might roughly happen just several times in the entire history of the Solar System. For a perfect line up as seen from far above or below the ecliptic it might happen once or twice while the Sun lasts.

You have to find the lowest common multiple (LCM) of the time taken for any planet to complete it's orbit. Since Pluto, Neptune, Uranus, Saturn and Jupiter have orbital periods of multiple years, the LCM is a very large number, many billions of years.

Pluto -248 years, Eris - 557 years, Neptune -165 years, Uranus - 84 years and so forth

Now add to that the fact that the orbital planes of the planets are inclined in relation to each other and it is pretty well certain that a really smooth line up will never happen.

Answer 4

I researched this some time back - many were in line at around the turning of the millennium. Mercury moves so fast that it does not last long. The planets are so small it has no effect on the Sun, but the solar wind gets pulled one way, and sort of focussed down the chain. Scientists in London have studied this effect and predicted the formation of every seasonal Hurricane to within 6 hours, based on the concentration of the Energy of the Solar wind in our upper atmosphere. They use this information to produce forecasts months ahead. Farmers pay for their forecasts.
Sir John is my UK nickname, and the title of the man I was named after !

Answer 5

Possibly - but not in our lifetimes. Each planet orbits at a slightly different inclination to the ecliptic so gettign a perfect alignment is quite difficult. In 2040 you will see something close when Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn are very close together in the sky (forming what would look like a 'star' cluster)

Answer 6

It'll prolly be THE rarest event ever, but there is a chance (according to the science of probability) I doubt it'll happen though.

Answer 7

Probably not for a very long time, if ever. That would be EXTREMELY unlikely.

Answer 8

If that happened would all the planets collapse into one another?

Answer 9

Dude ! ask an astronomer !
http://asktheastronomer.blogspot.com

[e-mail]

Answer 10

2007
A very remarkable planetary/galactic configuration occurs on December 23rd and 24th 2007. The configuration on December 23 — Mars, Earth, Sun, Mercury, Jupiter, Galactic Centre — is shown in the graphic simulation linked below; it becomes even more remarkable in that it will be accompanied by the Full Moon (conjunct Mars) at about 2 a.m. on December 24 when a simultaneous Venus square Neptune occurs. It is even more remarkable in that the Pluto/Sun conjunction appears exactly on the Winter Solstice, just past conjunction with the Galactic Centre.

Link below is the view from Mars toward the Jupiter, Mars, Earth, Mercury, Pluto alignment toward the Galactic Centre on 23 December 2007 which occurs just after the Pluto/Jupiter (Heliocentric) conjunction on 23 November 2007. NASA Solar System Simulator for 23rd Dec 2007

Solar System on Dec 22, 2007. What is not shown is Pluto (which would be to Jupiter's right) Saturn, which follows down from Venus, and Uranus and Neptune. Saturn and Neptune form the cross's t-member. It is a 23/12 configuration. There will be a full moon on Dec. 23, 2007


[edit] 2002
In late April of 2002, a rare grand conjunction occurred; in which Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Venus and Mercury were all visible concomitantly in the west-northwest sky, shortly after sundown; this will happen again in early July of 2060, except that on that occasion the quintet will be bunched in the east-northeast sky, shortly before dawn.


[edit] 2000
In May of 2000, the five brightest planets aligned within 20° of the Sun, as seen from the Earth. This could not be observed since they were too close to the Sun.


[edit] 1987
On August 24, 1987, the five objects closest to Earth — the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus and Mars — were within approximately 5° of one another, the Sun setting first, followed by Mars, Venus, Mercury and the Moon, in that order, within 20 minutes. As in the 2000 conjunction above, this event was unobservable due to the Sun being part of the line-up.


[edit] 1962
During the new moon and solar eclipse of February 4-5, 1962, an extremely rare grand conjunction of the classical planets occurred (it included all five of the naked-eye planets plus the Sun and Moon), all of them within 16° of one another on the ecliptic. At the precise moment of the new moon/solar eclipse, five celestial bodies (the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter) were clustered within 3° of each other, with the Earth in close conjunction with them. Taken in totality though, this grand conjunction included the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, with the Earth also in alignment with the Sun and Moon at the exact moment of the new moon/solar eclipse (eight celestial bodies in total).


[edit] 1899
During the new moon on December 2-3, 1899, a near-grand conjunction of the classical planets and several other binocular bodies occurred. The Sun, Moon, Mercury, Mars and Saturn were all within 15° of each other, with Venus 5° ahead of this conjunction and Jupiter 15° behind. Accompanying the classical planets in this grand conjunction were Uranus (technically visible unaided in pollution-free skies) Ceres and Pallas.

2007
Date Time UTC Planet Angle distance Planet Elongation to sun
January 13, 2007 14:35:37 Mars 7°19' south of Pluto 25,4° West
January 18, 2007 18:10:50 Venus 1°25' south of Neptune 20.1° East
January 26, 2007 06:46:07 Mercury 1°28' south of Neptune 12.7° East
February 7, 2007 13:13:57 Venus 44' south of Uranus 24.6° East
March 25, 2007 07:23:59 Mars 1°00' south of Neptune 43.2° West
April 1, 2007 06:59:14 Mercury 1°37' south of Uranus 25.0° West
April 28, 2007 18:57:38 Mars 44' south of Uranus 50.6° West
July 2, 2007 00:44:38 Venus 46' south of Saturn 42.6° East
August 9, 2007 08:46:28 Venus 8°29' south of Saturn 10.6° East
August 15, 2007 22:59:23 Mercury 10°04' north of Venus 1.8° East
August 18, 2007 11:30:22 Mercury 30' north of Saturn 3.2° East
October 15, 2007 14:05:43 Venus 2°56' south of Saturn 45,8° West
December 12, 2007 04:24:10 Jupiter 6°07' south of Pluto 8,7° East
December 19, 2007 19:58:57 Mercury 7°50' south of Pluto 2,0° East
December 20, 2007 21:46:21 Mercury 1°48' south of Jupiter 1,9° East


[edit] 2008
Date Time UTC Planet Angle distance Planet Elongation to sun
January 23, 2008 04:14:53 Mercury 20' north of Neptune 18.5° East
January 24, 2008 06:59:58 Venus 5°10' south of Pluto 33,7° West
February 1, 2008 04:14:53 Mercury 3°11' north of Neptune 9° East
February 1, 2008 12:35:21 Venus 35' north of Jupiter 32° West
February 26, 2008 02:34:04 Mercury 1°20' north of Venus 26.1° West
March 6, 2008 20:14:29 Venus 36' south of Neptune 24° West
March 9, 2008 02:48:02 Mercury 56' south of Neptune 26.2° West
March 23, 2008 10:13:50 Mercury 1°03' south of Venus 20.3° West
March 27, 2008 17:00:46 Venus 45' south of Uranus 18,6° West
March 28, 2008 19:02:26 Venus 14' south of Saturn 18° East
June 8, 2008 00:51:42 Mercury 2°59' south of Venus 0.3° West
July 11, 2008 06:27:25 Mars 42' south of Saturn 46,2° East
August 13, 2008 19:02:26 Venus 14' south of Saturn 18° East
August 16, 2008 00:03:43 Mercury 42' south of Saturn 16.1° East
August 23, 2008 05:08:57 Mercury 1°15' south of Venus 20.5° East
September 11, 2008 04:50:56 Mercury 3°34' south of Venus 25.4° East
September 11, 2008 20:36:33 Venus 20' north of Mars 25.´5° East
September 12, 2008 20:59:16 Mercury 3°26' south of Mars 25.3° East
September 19, 2008 05:13:06 Mercury 4°08' south of Mars 23.3° East
November 12, 2008 06:27:14 Venus 7°53' south of Pluto 39,4° East
December 1, 2008 00:36:13 Venus 2°02' south of Jupiter 42.7° West
December 12, 2008 18:12:39 Mercury 7°44' südlich Pluto 9,6° East
December 27, 2008 01:50:46 Venus 1°45' south of Neptune 46.2° East
December 28, 2008 18:13:36 Mars 6°22' south of Pluto 6,3° West
December 31, 2008 05:54:23 Mercury 1°17' south of Jupiter 18.6° East


[edit] 2009
Date Time UTC Planet Angle distance Planet Elongation to sun
January 18, 2009 06:19:19 Mercury 3°15' north of Jupiter 4.7° East
January 23, 2009 15:34:10 Venus 1°24' north of Uranus 46.3° East
January 26, 2009 18:23:39 Mercury 4°25' north of Mars 13.5° West
February 17, 2009 09:35:27 Mars 35' south of Jupiter 18.8° West
February 24, 2009 03:08:31 Mercury 37' north of Jupiter 24.1° West
March 1, 2009 20:21:59 Mercury 36' south of Mars 21.8° West
March 5, 2009 00:52:04 Mercury 1°39' south of Neptune 19,9° West
March 8, 2009 04:18:03 Mars 48' south of Neptune 22.9° West
March 21, 2009 21:36:59 Mercury 1°24' south of Uranus 8.3° West
March 27, 2009 11:31:44 Mercury 10°37' south of Venus 4° West
April 15, 2009 03:46:10 Mars 28' south of Uranus 30.9° West
April 18, 2009 16:22:43 Venus 5°36' north of Mars 29.8° West
May 25, 2009 14:20:29 Jupiter 24' south of Neptune 98° West
June 19, 2009 14:16:32 Venus 2°02' south of Mars 44.6° West
July 13, 2009 17:22:12 Jupiter 37' south of Neptune 145.5° West
August 18, 2009 21:20:26 Mercury 3°27' south of Saturn 25.4° East
September 20, 2009 12:26:59 Mercury 5°24' south of Saturn 3° West
October 8, 2009 09:19:27 Mercury 19' south of Saturn 17.6° West
October 13, 2009 15:39:41 Venus 34' south of Saturn 22.1° West
December 7, 2009 06:57:29 Mercury 7°29' south of Pluto 17,1° East
December 20, 2009 05:35:39 Jupiter 34' south of Neptune 55.6° East
December 28, 2009 04:21:10 Venus 5°24' south of Pluto 3,5° West


[edit] 2010
Date Time UTC Planet Angle distance Planet Elongation to sun
November 21, 2010 00:50:16 Mercury 1°41' south of Mars 18.7° East
December 13, 2010 22:03:19 Mars 5°26' south of Pluto 12,7° East
December 14, 2010 03:33:06 Mercury 1°02' north of Mars 12.7° East


[edit] 2011
Date Time UTC Planet Angle distance Planet Elongation to sun
January 2, 2011 13:41:09 Jupiter 34' south of Uranus 75° East
January 18, 2011 02:28:33 Mercury 4°05' south of Pluto 21,9° West
February 9, 2011 23:24:13 Venus 2°20' south of Pluto 44,4° West
February 20, 2011 13:50:48 Mercury 1°04' south of Mars 3.7° West
February 20, 2011 17:08:01 Mercury 1°41' south of Neptune 3.2° West
February 20, 2011 21:28:33 Mars 38' south of Neptune 3,4° West
March 9, 2011 18:00:45 Mercury 22' north of Uranus 11.1° East
March 16, 2011 17:25:56 Mercury 2°20' north of Jupiter 15.7° West
March 27, 2011 00:37:44 Venus 9' south of Neptune 36.3° West
April 3, 2011 17:42:55 Mars 14' south of Uranus 12.4° West
April 10, 2011 20:05:01 Mercury 3°31' north of Jupiter 2.8° West
April 19, 2011 08:23:49 Mercury 47' north of Mars 15.4° West
April 22, 2011 18:50:51 Venus 55' south of Uranus 30° West
May 1, 2011 11:04:55 Mars 24' north of Jupiter 18.2° West
May 10, 2011 22:46:50 Mercury 2°12' south of Jupiter 25.3° West
May 11, 2011 09:14:56 Venus 37' south of Jupiter 25.7° West
May 20, 2011 01:17:23 Mercury 2°21' south of Mars 22.2° West
May 22, 2011 15:13:00 Venus 1°03' south of Mars 22.7° West
August 15, 2011 23:17:56 Mercury 6°21' south of Venus 1.3° West
September 30, 2011 11:07:16 Venus 1°24' south of Saturn 11.8° East
October 7, 2011 08:58:32 Mercury 1°52' south of Saturn 6.1° East
December 1, 2011 08:52:19 Venus 5°26' south of Pluto 27,2° East


[edit] 2012
Date Time UTC Planet Angle distance Planet Elongation to sun
January 13, 2012 07:07:30 Venus 1°10' south of Neptune 36.4° East
January 13, 2012 08:46:52 Mercury 4°34' south of Pluto 15,1° West
February 10, 2012 05:19:14 Venus 20' north of Uranus 41.3° East
February 14, 2012 00:40:40 Mercury 1°18' south of Neptune 5.5° East
March 6, 2012 23:35:54 Mercury 3°05' north of Uranus 16.7° East
March 15, 2012 10:37:46 Venus 3°16' north of Jupiter 44.6° East
March 16, 2012 02:11:51 Mercury 4°36' north of Uranus 8.2° East
April 22, 2012 02:00:45 Mercury 2°08' south of Uranus 26.3° West
May 22, 2012 07:12:01 Mercury 24' north of Jupiter 6.3° West
June 1, 2012 20:40:22 Mercury 12' north of Venus 6.7° East
August 17, 2012 08:46:15 Mars 2°54' south of Saturn 60.1° East
October 6, 2012 07:06:36 Mercury 3°29' north of Saturn 16.8° East
November 27, 2012 05:14:02 Venus 34' south of Saturn 29,0° West
November 27, 2012 11:19:37 Mars 4°33' south of Pluto 32,3° East