Stargazing Is it Possible for All Planets to Line Up?

[The Bob]

I was wondering if it is possible for all of the planets to line up in one line?

The Bob (2004 ©)

 

[DB]

There are always probabilities. I've heard of stuff like that in movies and I believe it's possible, but within thosands of years. My anwser would be yes.

 

[Janus]

I was wondering if it is possible for all of the planets to line up in one line?

The Bob (2004 ©)

As in a straight line? No. The problem is that the Planets all have different inclinations. Their orbits are tilted to the sun at different angles. There are only two points of each planet's orbit where it, another planet and the Sun line up. These points are called "nodes". If both planet's are at the a node at the same time you have such a line up. The thing is that the nodes between the different planets do not line up. For instance, if Earth and Mars are at their respective nodes, then Mars and Jupiter are not, nor are Earth and Jupiter. Thus Jupiter can cannot be in line with Earth or Mars when Earth is in line with Mars.

 

[turbo]

It would be neat to be on Titan, for instance, and view Solar transits of more than one inner planet simultaneously. Of course, the Sun is not going to look too big as viewed from Saturn's orbit, so the alignment would have to be pretty tight!

 

[DB]

guess i was wrong lol

 

[Phobos]

Hey DB, don't feel too bad. Orbits can change over time (and therefore, nodes). However, you would probably have to wait longer than the lifespan of the sun to get a perfect alignment of all the planets. Maybe the odds will improve once the sun becomes a red giant and burns up Mercury, Venus, and maybe the Earth. :)