The Science of Planetary Allignments
Thousands of years ago, men looked to the planets to guide them. Planetary alignments foretold momentous events of good and evil. In those days, planning wedding,s or even assassinations, according to the planets and stars was common in many cultures. Many people still look to the planets to tell the future. But what really is a planetary alignment and how does it happen?
There are two different ways that the term alignment is used referring to the planets in our Solar System. The first way is if you were standing on the Sun, all the planets would appear to be lined up in a row. This is what most people think of when the they hear the term planetary alignment. The other kind of alignment is if all the planets follow a straight line. In other words, it is as if a straight line can be drawn through the center of all the planets.
Topic:all the planets, exact alignment, mercury and venus, planetary alignment in 2012, planetary alignments, planetary configuration, planets and stars, planets in our solar system, saturn jupiter, standing on the sunRelated Topic
Amateur Astronomers Are First To Detect Objects Impacting Jupiter
Amateur astronomers using backyard telescopes were the first to detect two small objects that burned up in Jupiter’s atmosphere on June 3 and Aug. 20.
Professional astronomers at NASA and other institutions followed up on the discovery and gathered detailed information on the objects, which produced bright spots on Jupiter. The object that caused the June 3 fireball was estimated to be 30 to 40 feet in diameter – comparable in size to asteroid 2010 RF12 that flew by Earth on Sept. 8.
The June 3 fireball released five to 10 times less energy than the 1908 Tunguska meteoroid, which exploded 4-6 miles above Earth’s surface with a powerful burst that knocked down millions of trees in a remote part of Russia. Scientists continue to analyze the Aug. 20 fireball, but think it was comparable to the June 3 object.
Topic:amateur astronomer, amateur astronomers, astrophysical journal, astrophysical journal letters, bilbao spain, formation of the solar system, glenn orton, jet propulsion laboratory, professional astronomers, universidad del pais vasco