Let's do some math!
Consider an ideal orbital system - on the model of a watch with hands -
with planets circling a sun. The times taken by each of 3 planets to
complete the orbit will be given by 1.2, 2 and 4.5 years. How often
will planets 1 and 2 align? Every 2.4 years! Planets 1 and 3? Every 5.4
years! All three? Every 10.8 years! Hurrah for our watch-hand like
planets.
One can, then, calculate the expected occurence of alignments for
planets in our solar system below from the given table .
Pretty rough numbers, though, because we are using average transit times. And
speed (as well orbital inclination) are precisely what will vary as planetary neighbors
approach and depart. Everyone is in a satellite relation with the so-called
primary ie the sun, but closeness to others does matter, and emprical orbits can be
described as elliptical. In effect, the heavier (more dense?) planets will dirupt
their neighborhoods in turn, so the expected elliptical description of a planet's path
on sucessive turns is not the same.
On with the fun. From our numbers, the three outlying planets will align
with each other every 408 374 years; Jupiter and Saturn every 351 years...
Curous to find how Milankovitch did it!?
https://www.theplanetstoday.com/
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