Planet positions and gravitational effects

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the potential influence of planetary positions on earthquake occurrences on Earth. Participants explore the relationship between celestial alignments and seismic activity, considering both theoretical and observational perspectives.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant suggests a correlation between the positions of planets and major earthquakes, specifically noting that most planets are opposite Earth, excluding Saturn and Pluto.
  • Another participant counters this idea by pointing out the frequency of earthquakes in a typical year, implying that the suggested correlation may not hold.
  • A different participant proposes that it is possible to calculate the gravitational force exerted on Earth using Newton's expression for gravity, although no specific calculations are provided.
  • A later reply reiterates the initial suggestion about planetary positions but emphasizes that the gravitational effects of distant planets are negligible compared to those of the Sun and the Moon, highlighting the inverse square law of gravitational force.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express disagreement regarding the influence of planetary positions on earthquakes. While one participant proposes a connection, others challenge this view by emphasizing the insignificance of gravitational effects from distant planets.

Contextual Notes

Participants do not provide specific data or calculations to support their claims, and the discussion lacks a consensus on the relationship between planetary positions and seismic activity.

Akfine
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Considering that most of the planets are opposite to us, excluding Saturn and Pluto, could that have anything to do with major earthqauke in the last couple of years?

Just a thought.
 
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No. I suggest you start looking into this by seeing how many earthquakes there are in a typical year. (Hint: it's more than a few)
 
You can also calculate (even with Newton's expression for gravity) what the gravitational force is on the Earth.
 
Akfine said:
Considering that most of the planets are opposite to us, excluding Saturn and Pluto, could that have anything to do with major earthqauke in the last couple of years?

Just a thought.
Actually, most of the brighter (larger/closer) planets are on the same side of the Sun as we are, currently. And their gravitational effects on Earth are minuscule in comparison to that of the Sun, and even our own satellite, the Moon. Gravitational forces fall off as a square of the distance between the bodies in question, and the big guys (Jupiter, Saturn, etc) are very far away.
 

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