# planetary line up **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 9, 2000, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planetary-line-up/12706 "2000-01-09T21:52:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2000, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planetary-line-up/12706/1 "2000-01-09T21:52:00Z")
On May 5th about,theres a big line-up of most of the planets,on the other side of the sun.Are earthquakes expected? I know it doesnt really mean anything,but Do planets affect the earth? ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2000, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planetary-line-up/12706/2 "2000-01-09T22:26:00Z")
The only thing of note that will happen will be all the cool people in the world will be out shopping for my birthday presents. ---
**Author:** ![Guy\_Propski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/5e9695/32.png) [@Guy\_Propski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guy_Propski)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2000, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planetary-line-up/12706/3 "2000-01-10T14:36:00Z")
There was some big scare about this back in 80’s; nothing happened. You have to keep in mind that we are always being affected by other planet’s gravity; it’s the nature of gravity. Lining them up doesn’t really change anything. ---
**Author:** ![Akatsukami](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea666f/32.png) [@Akatsukami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akatsukami)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2000, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planetary-line-up/12706/4 "2000-01-10T15:20:00Z")
You thought Y2K was a non-event? Wait until you completely fail to notice _this_! * * * “Kings die, and leave their crowns to their sons. Shmuel HaKatan took all the treasures in the world, and went away.” ---
**Author:** ![Whammo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8dc957/32.png) [@Whammo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whammo)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2000, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planetary-line-up/12706/5 "2000-01-10T16:03:00Z")
The lining up of planets has no gravitational effect on the earth, at their distance gravitational pull is insignificant lined up or not. Its nothing compaired to the moon, and its with us most of the time. Lining up happens pretty frequently, only astrologist tend to notice. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2000, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planetary-line-up/12706/6 "2000-01-10T16:05:00Z")
Plus this lineup of planets includes most of them _but us!_ If anything, we should notice a decrease in planetary gravitational influence. * * * The Canadians. They walk among us. William Shatner. Michael J. Fox. Monty Hall. Mike Meyers. Alex Trebek. All of them Canadians. All of them here. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2000, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planetary-line-up/12706/7 "2000-01-10T16:06:00Z")
Addendum: we’ll be on the opposite side of the Sun from the lineup. * * * The Canadians. They walk among us. William Shatner. Michael J. Fox. Monty Hall. Mike Meyers. Alex Trebek. All of them Canadians. All of them here. ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2000, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planetary-line-up/12706/8 "2000-01-10T16:08:00Z")
Well, it depends on the planets, of course. As **AWB** mentions, we’re off the hook for this one. But if the earth is placed between Mars and Venus, I can think of one _very_ annoyed Martian. So if that’s the case, the consequences could be catastrophic. Assuming that the Illudium Q32 is working properly. * * * I would have gotten away with it too, if it weren’t for you meddling kids! ---
**Author:** ![SoulFrost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f07891/32.png) [@SoulFrost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SoulFrost)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2000, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planetary-line-up/12706/9 "2000-01-10T16:12:00Z")
I heard somewhere that any one of our artificial satellites has a greater gravitational effect on the earth than all the other planets and moons combined (our own moon excepted, of course.) Anyone know the validity of that (or a source?) -David ---
**Author:** ![Guy\_Propski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/5e9695/32.png) [@Guy\_Propski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guy_Propski)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2000, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planetary-line-up/12706/10 "2000-01-10T16:40:00Z")
Well, gravitational attraction drops off by the square of the distance between the two objects, so I think the statement you made is somewhat accurate. ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2000, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planetary-line-up/12706/11 "2000-01-11T02:36:00Z")
beatle - don’t tell me you’re a fellow taurean! And yes, I seem to remember that the world was supposed to end right before I became legal, IIRC. Zyada - born 05/06/wouldn’t you like to know! * * * …in a state so nonintuitive it can only be called weird… ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2000, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planetary-line-up/12706/12 "2000-01-11T03:51:00Z")
Well, if Jupiter aligns with Mars, then peace should guide the planets, as long as the moon is in the seventh house. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2000, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planetary-line-up/12706/13 "2000-01-13T05:53:00Z")
Here is a link from the Bad Astronomy web site. [http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/misc/planets.html](http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/misc/planets.html) The quick answer is: NO! He even calculates the effects of gravity, and of the tides, for the planets. Enjoy. ---
**Author:** ![Ursa\_Major](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a88e57/32.png) [@Ursa\_Major](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ursa_Major)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2000, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planetary-line-up/12706/14 "2000-01-13T06:06:00Z")
I think John Gribbon wrote a book called “The Jupter Effect” back in the '70s about how a planetary convergence in the '80s was going to rip the world apart. It was a real big seller, too. I don’t know how these doomsayers manage to get everybody to forget what they said after their predictions fail to be realized.