A planetary parade is an unofficial periodic astronomical phenomenon during which the planets do not line up in one row, or are on the same line relative to the Sun.
Such a parade can be observed right now in Europe and Russia. From the end of January until February 3–4, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn were visible to the naked eye in the predawn sky. Also in the field of view of the telescopes was Pluto, invisible to humans. The exact definition and characteristics of such a phenomenon as a “parade of planets” are vague, since for thousands of years “parades” have been the subject of speculation by astrologers, mystics and religious cults.
A little background
One can easily understand the reverence of ancient people for the parade of planets. Man, having limited knowledge about the structure of the world, was especially sensitive to events that went beyond the ordinary - and attributed to them supernatural and divine qualities.
If someone makes a rating of unusual phenomena according to our ancestors, they will take one of the first places. Thus, they stand out qualitatively among other objects in the sky. Unlike static stars, which simply replace each other as the Earth rotates, planets actively move across the sky. In addition, the light of the planet has a pronounced color and does not flicker like stars - and planets are many times brighter. Thus, Venus reaches -4.3, which makes it the brightest source of light in the Earth's night sky after the Sun and Moon.
Therefore, it is not surprising that when the planets lined up in one row, it made a strong impression on our ancestors. Not having any knowledge of the power that causes the planets to revolve around the Sun, they considered such a coincidence of the positions of the planets to be something special. Moreover, parades of planets usually occur within certain constellations, which allows even today especially scientific minds to “predict” the future and interpret events of the past.
What is a “parade of planets”?
However, is the parade of planets really a rare phenomenon? And what arrangement of planets can be considered a parade? Now we will figure it out together.
So, what is a parade of planets? This is the position of the planets solar system relative to the Earth, that in its night sky they are visible on one conventional line - and at the same time at an angular distance of up to 40–50 degrees from each other. According to this criterion, the parade of planets that is happening right now is not a parade - the participating planets are scattered among themselves in a field of more than 110°. However, they can still be observed together, which is valuable for night sky lovers. Beginning astronomers can compare a planet and a star, and appreciate the differences in color, brightness, and size between different bodies in the solar system. In addition, even now, when invisible to the naked eye, it is easy to detect with binoculars or a children's telescope.
Many people believe that during the parade of planets, all the large bodies of the solar system stand in one row. This is not always the case. For example, in this position one of the main participants in the parades, Venus, will not be visible. Since it is closer to the Sun than the Earth, it will be on the day side of our planet, which will not allow it to be observed simultaneously with other planets. The same goes for Mercury. Together, they are visible mainly at sunset and in the mornings, and then during elongations - periods in autumn and spring, when they rise above the horizon in the sky of the Northern Hemisphere.
No less interesting are the already mentioned “full” parades, when all the planets, along with the Earth, are lined up on one side of the Sun. Although there is no official term “parade of planets” in science, the parades themselves are actively used in astronomy. The probe, the most distant spacecraft from Earth, used the favorable position of the planets for a gravitational maneuver - having made orbits around Jupiter and Saturn, Voyager not only made unique ones, but also gained enormous speed without using fuel!
Frequency of planetary parades
During the Voyager flight in 1982, the last complete parade of planets occurred. The next one has to wait until 2162. It turns out that the parade of planets is a rare occurrence?
Not really. Although full parades involving Uranus and Neptune, invisible to the naked eye, are indeed very rare, small parades occur regularly. A parade of planets similar to the current one will occur in 2022 - and three planets in the sky at the same time can sometimes be observed several times a year. In addition, the outer planets, such as Jupiter and Saturn, are visible not only before dawn, but throughout the night. And since Venus “joins” their celestial company in winter, mini-parades are inevitable.
Parades are quite likely in the summer, but to observe them you already need minimal conditions. For example, at the end of June–beginning of July 2020, Mars, Neptune, Saturn and Jupiter will be visible on the horizon in the southeast. Although the planets will be easy to observe at night, Neptune will not be visible without a telescope - and the close distance between Saturn and Jupiter in the parade will present problems for inexperienced observers.
In order to put an end to the topic of antiquity and step into the present day, it is worth immediately noting that people in the past recorded parades of planets much less often. They were hampered not only by the lack of optical instruments that would allow them to see the planets in the blinding dawn, but also by the irregularity of observation and poorly developed communications. The usual accumulation of clouds in autumn in Antiquity made astronomical observations impossible. It is also worth considering that some parades of planets are visible only from the Southern Hemisphere, which was watched only by the Incas and Mayans 500–600 years ago. Today, astronomers from all over the globe share data, images, and even set up their own telescopes.
The influence of planetary parades on Earth
In our article it was already mentioned that people of antiquity, ignorant of the world order, were amazed by various natural phenomena - from volcanic eruptions. And when the latter have ceased to cause superstitious horror, parades of planets still allow scammers to speculate on coincidences - for example, the parade in December 1989 is often called “the reason for the collapse of the USSR.”
The connection between politics on Earth and the movement of bodies in the Universe is one of the oldest disciplines of astrology, and does not need commentary by astronomers. Therefore, we are primarily interested in how the parades of planets affect the Earth - part of the gravitational system of the Sun. There are also many myths here, some of which have leaked into popular culture- in the sensational science fiction film “2012”, it was the parade of planets that caused the destruction of the Sun.
At first glance, this is logical - since all the planets are on the same side of the Sun, the totality of their mass could influence, if not the Sun, then at least the Earth. However, calculations show a completely different picture.
As we know, the Moon has the strongest gravitational influence on the Earth after the Sun. Its rotation creates a tidal wave on Earth, following the Moon across the sky. The absolute height of the tidal wave is 60 centimeters. However, the unevenness of the Earth's surface allows the tide to reach even 18 meters in height! The tide occurs not only in water, but also in the liquid parts of the lower layers of the Earth - this catalyzes plate movement, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. The influence of the Moon is most powerful during the full moon, when it reaches perigee - the point of its orbit closest to the Earth.
The Moon, of course, is lighter than any of the planets in the solar system, and is not even the largest satellite - however, it is only 384 thousand kilometers away from the Earth. The minimum distance to the closest planet, Venus, is 38 million kilometers - almost 10 times further than the Moon. Therefore, the Venusian tidal wave on Earth is hundredths of a millimeter. Even the huge Jupiter, which moves millions of kilometers, is unable to seriously influence the Earth - even at the moment of its closest approach it is 100 times weaker than our Moon!
Then maybe the parade of planets can influence the Sun? The numbers will speak for themselves. When the ratio of the mass of the Moon to the mass of the Earth is 0.012, then the mass of all objects in the solar system correlates with the Sun as 0.0013. Based on this, the influence of the system’s objects on the Sun is already 10 times weaker than the influence of the Moon on the Earth. In addition, the matter of the planets is unevenly distributed throughout the solar system - therefore, the maximum height of a tidal wave on the Sun from the planets is 10 centimeters. Considering that the Sun itself is capable of tens of kilometers, this tide can be neglected.
Jupiter is many times larger than Earth. Fortunately, they are separated by a huge distance - otherwise the giant would simply swallow our planet.
Finally, I would like to recall the motto of the Enlightenment, formulated by the famous philosopher Immanuel Kant: “Have the courage to use your reason. There is no need to be afraid of lifeless planets in space - where people cause the greatest misfortunes to themselves. And the first step on the path to progress is to take responsibility upon yourself, instead of shifting it to an indifferent heaven.
From January 31 to February 7, 2016, the Moon and the five planets of our solar system - Mars, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn and Mercury - lined up on one side of the Sun. It's called. This phenomenon can be observed in the mornings before dawn, under clear sky conditions. What does this rare astronomical spectacle promise us?
Parades big and small
There are minor parades in which from four to six planets participate. Large parades involve six or more planets. There are also “visible” and “invisible” parades. A visible parade of planets is a configuration in which Mercury, Jupiter and Saturn come close to each other and become visible at the same time in a small sector of the sky (10-40 degrees). Of course, “mini-parades” involving four planets occur more often than those involving five or more celestial bodies. And the “lining up” of three planets in a row can be observed at least once or twice a year. But visible parades of planets are observed once every 18-20 years.
The term “parade of planets” was coined by American astrophysicists Plageman and Gribbin. On the eve of another similar event in 1982, they made panicky statements that this would threaten the Earth with terrible cataclysms.
Back in 1974, scientists published the book “The Jupiter Effect,” the cover of which depicted planets lined up in a straight line. Which, by the way, basically doesn’t happen. And the term “parade of planets” itself is not considered scientific by most astrophysicists. It's about simply about the convergence of celestial bodies, they say.
Heavenly signs...
Nevertheless, traditionally such changes in the position of planets in the sky are surrounded by mystical meanings. Even in ancient times, this phenomenon was mistaken for. So, in 1954 BC, fearing the impending end of the world, the Chinese emperor ordered the calendar to begin from scratch, hoping to appease the heavenly rulers...
One of the planetary parades, which could be seen with the naked eye, took place in 1940, before the Great Patriotic War. On February 2, 1962, seven planets came into operation at once - Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus. The parade of planets was accompanied by a solar eclipse, and many then argued that this was not good... Indeed, it happened Cuban missile crisis, and the following year, American President John Kennedy was assassinated...
Another parade of planets happened on March 10, 1982: then all nine planets of the Solar System, including Pluto, which still had planetary status, gathered on one side of the Sun, in a sector with an angle of 95 degrees. In November of the same year, the General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee Leonid Brezhnev died...
The theme of “planetary apocalypses” was readily picked up by the yellow media, cinema and television. Thus, in the film "Knight of Camelot" based on Mark Twain's novel "A Yankee in King Arthur's Court", the main character finds herself in the medieval era during a parade of planets... In the film "The Mummy: Prince of Egypt" the mummy of an ancient Egyptian is also resurrected thanks to a parade of planets... In the animated series "Transformers: Prime" (2011) the same astronomical phenomenon awakens to life the monster Unicron, who is also the earth's core, and this threatens the Earth with destruction... In the film "2012" the parade of planets has such a negative impact on the Sun that it causes a global catastrophe on Earth ...And in one of the episodes of The X-Files, two girls are possessed by a demon, because on their birthday Mars, Uranus and Mercury were located on the same line...
Voyager's finest hour
But let’s leave omens and cinema alone and turn to the astronomical sciences. Are planetary parades really capable of influencing processes occurring on Earth?
Vladimir Surdin, a senior researcher at the State Astronomical Institute named after P. K. Sternberg of Moscow State University, argues in the brochure “The Fifth Force” that the “collection” of many planets on one side of the Sun should stimulate tidal phenomena on the star. But their influence on solar activity is not so clear, he believes.
“On the one hand, they lead to the release of additional energy in the convective shell of the Sun, on the other hand, they destroy its structure, and with it the structure of the magnetic field, which, as is known, plays an important role in energy processes on the surface of the Sun,” writes scientist.
But planetary parades are the best time to launch spaceships. It was in 1977, when the planets once again approached each other, that two Voyager spacecraft were launched into space to explore the solar system. Although it was initially planned that only Saturn and Jupiter would be studied, thanks to the fact that the planets “lined up in a parade”, it was possible to fly around them all.
The next “big” parade of planets will take place in March 2022 in the 38 degree sector. But only in June will all five planets become visible on Russian territory.
For many centuries, people, watching the parade of planets, treated this phenomenon with reverence and trepidation. The Mayans believed that this event would lead to the end of the world. Their prediction did not come true, but why were such conclusions made and isn’t the proximity of the planets to each other actually dangerous?
What is a parade of planets?
The parade of planets of the solar system can be:
- small - only four take part in it celestial bodies- this is Saturn, Mars, Mercury, Venus;
- a big parade takes place once every twenty years: six planets are unlikely to line up - Jupiter and Uranus are added to the previous participants;
- a full parade occurs once every one hundred and seventy years.
It was precisely the full parade of planets that became the reason for the compilation of all kinds of terrible tales about the end of the world. The phenomenon has not yet been fully studied, there are no facts and data about how this phenomenon affects people and other surrounding bodies in the Universe, so the phenomenon will continue to cause resonance in society for now, and humanity has no choice but believe in “fables” or completely miss this moment.
How often does a parade of planets happen?
In general, the parade of planets is a relatively frequent occurrence. Several times a year, three planets line up in a row. Astrologers connect planets with people. Each person is born under a certain zodiac sign and is ruled by a certain planet. Each of the celestial spheres has its own specific influence on events in life and. Psychics also associate many phenomena with the phenomenon. Both consider this an energy surge. By mastering such power and directing it in the right direction, you can succeed in many things.
When was the last time there was a parade of planets?
The great formation is a very beautiful action. When was the last parade of planets? It occurs almost every two centuries; the last such event was observed by people in 1982. The next time all the planets will line up will be back in 2161. We have a chance to see an equally beautiful formation of six planets, which occurs once every twenty years. This is an important event in the world of science. You can reduce the time it takes to travel to other planets, and you will be able to explore more territories.
When is the next planetary parade?
In what year will there be a parade of planets? Very soon, already in this 2017, we will see the formation of six planets. Astrologers and psychics are looking forward to this event. The following will line up around the Sun:
- Earth;
- Mercury;
- Mars;
- Jupiter;
- Saturn;
- Venus.
Venus and Mars will not be visible, as they will be behind the Earth. Already in August it will be possible to tell the exact time when the parade will take place. It is currently known that this action will take place in November. But Jupiter and Saturn can be observed not only in the predawn, but throughout the night. But Mercury can only be observed at sunset or dawn together with Venus. But this time you won’t be able to see Venus at all.
Parade of planets - impact on humans
From a scientific point of view, a large parade of planets cannot in any way affect humanity. Those who study energy centers and their influence on life, think the opposite - they are confident that such an “event” can, if not fundamentally, then have a significant impact. During the parade in 2017, astrologers expect an increase in the influence of planets on aspects of people's lives.
- Mercury. It will help you get started. November will be the most dynamic month of the year. Many people's financial situation will change for the better.
- Jupiter- a celestial sphere that can establish inner peace.
- Saturn will increase the capabilities of intuition and sharpen the senses of people with psychic abilities, which is why they are so looking forward to this parade.
- Venus and Mars will be located behind the Earth, but their influence will also manifest itself. Therefore, November promises to be permeated with sexual energy. Mars is the patron of leadership qualities and aggression.
Parade of planets - interesting facts
The Great Parade of Planets constantly caused a storm of emotions in society. This is due to the fact that in ancient times people considered all unknown and unstudied phenomena to be magical and mysterious. Such phenomena were rarely observed because there was no appropriate equipment. The most interesting thing is that parades cannot always be observed. You can make the appropriate calculations and know when this will happen. It follows that visible constructions occur approximately once every twenty-five years.
Conclusions: does the parade of planets really exist or is it just a fictitious myth? Scientists do not officially use this term. Astrologers use it. With some periodicity, when the time of passage around the Sun coincides, people can see something unusual happening. A parade of planets is when several spheres are simultaneously at a close distance from each other on the same line.
An astronomical event that occurs only once every 179 years took place on March 10, 1982, on this day all nine planets - Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto were on the same side of the Sun in the sector with angle 95 degrees.
Astronomers do not like the word “parade”, preferring to call such phenomena “convergence of planets.” But the name stuck. People usually expect the parade of planets as a rare, beautiful and nerve-wracking event. After all, each of these parades is a reason to expect the end of the world due to giant tides and catastrophic earthquakes.
This event is truly rare. Although the so-called “small parades”, in which four planets participate, and “big parades” with the participation of six planets occur quite often, once every few years. But “full parades” of all nine planets have occurred only ten times since the Nativity of Christ, and on June 11, 1128, the parade was exceptional: all nine planets gathered on one side of the Sun in a sector with an angle of 40 degrees.
Planetary parades are spectacular only in movies about planetary parades or in a color picture in a textbook. IN real life You will have to observe the planets using at least an amateur telescope or good binoculars, and the planets must also be found in a fairly wide sector of the starry sky. Even a very bright minor parade of planets in May 2011 in a sector with an angle of less than 10 degrees could hardly have been observed by an inexperienced person in astronomy with binoculars.
But what angers professional astronomers and astrophysicists most of all is the joyful anticipation of the apocalypse that grips the Earth’s population on the eve of the next parade of planets. In 1974, the book “The Jupiter Effect” was published, written by two young English astrophysicists John Gribbin and Stephen Pleijmann. It described terrible cataclysms, including the catastrophic earthquake in California on March 10, 1982, when a full parade of planets was expected.
The book instantly became a bestseller and began to be translated in other countries. Scientists did not expect such frivolity from their colleagues and tried to expose them in the eyes of the public, but to no avail. The young people made good money and became famous all over the world, much more famous than, for example, a scientific advisor thesis Pleijmann, the English astronomer Sir Fred Hoyle, who was the first to introduce the concept of the Big Bang into cosmology, and in his free time wrote science fiction novels, which were quite popular in his time.
In February 1982, on the eve of the parade of planets, Gribbin and Pleijmann's second book, The Jupiter Effect: Revisited, appeared on the shelves and again became a bestseller, although a month later absolutely nothing of what they promised had happened. And in the new book they were no longer so categorical about the disastrous effect of the parade of planets on humanity.
Today, few people remember two young, enterprising British scientists. But before every small and large parade of planets, routine apocalyptic predictions appear. By the way, the next full parade of planets will take place in 2161.
A visible parade of planets is a planetary configuration when the five bright planets of the solar system (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn) in their movement across the sky come close to each other and become visible at the same time in a small sector (10 - 40 degrees ) sky.
In order for all five bright planets to be visible at the same time, the condition must be met that Mars, Jupiter and Saturn have approximately the same longitude and are visible near the inner planets, and Mercury and Venus are in eastern elongation from the Sun in the spring, and in western elongation, in autumn (for the northern hemisphere of the Earth and for mid-latitudes). It is during such elongations that Mercury can be observed for quite a long time. Venus has less severe visibility conditions, because its maximum elongation is 48 degrees (for Mercury it is 28 degrees).
From the above it is clear that the parade of planets can be observed either in the evening or in the morning. Mini-parades of planets with the participation of four planets occur more often, and mini-parades of planets with the participation of three planets can be observed annually (or even twice a year), but the conditions for their visibility are not the same for different latitudes of the Earth.
For example, a wonderful parade of 4 bright planets in mid-May 2011, when the planets will gather in the 7 degree sector (!), can be observed in the equatorial regions and the southern hemisphere of the Earth, and for residents of the mid-latitudes of the northern hemisphere the parade will be practically invisible , because the planets will rise at the same time as the Sun.
The next mini-parade of planets will take place in August 2008 (sector 20 degrees). Visible parades of planets with the participation of five bright planets occur no more often than once every 18-20 years, and the next close parade of 5 planets in the 38 degree sector will take place in March 2022, but its visibility conditions will be unfavorable for residents of Russia.
But already in June 2022, the residents of Russia will still be lucky, and they will see all five planets at the same time, but already located in the sector of 115 degrees, and they will be located Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn. This combination happens even less often than a parade of 5 planets.
In addition, there will be no End of the World on December 23, 2012, as the ancient Mayans allegedly predicted. This was stated by Alfonso Arellano, an employee of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).
Thus, the scientist refuted the interpretation of certain Indian “prophecies” that was widespread in esoteric circles.
A specialist from the Institute of Philological Research UNAM explained that this date marks the end of the “current cosmic cycle,” as it was imagined in one of the greatest pre-Columbian civilizations.
According to hieroglyphic inscriptions of the Maya of the classical period (III-IX centuries AD), it began on August 13, 3113 BC and should end on December 23, 2012.
This circumstance gave rise to many pseudo-scientific, apocalyptic speculations. Although the texts on which they are based are not prophecies, but records telling about the actions of local rulers.
However, on the significant day of December 23, it will be possible to observe an astronomical phenomenon of extraordinary beauty - a parade of planets. Mars, Jupiter and Saturn will line up, and, as the scientist says, “a huge “star” will be visible.” Thus, according to the ideas of time of the ancient Mayans, a new 5125-year cycle will begin.
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