Heliocentric Planetary Conjunctions 2020

[JP Michael]

This thread is for recording both the occurrence of and predictions for significant planetary conjunctions within the solar system for 2020.

This thread is not to be misunderstood as if it were for geocentric observations of astrological conjunctions. I have no interest in geocentric conjunctions, starsigns, constellations or astrology so please refrain from any such commentary.

This thread is for the discussion, predictions and analysis of heliocentric planetary conjunctions only.

These should be of interest to PU/EU physicists as it gives an opportunity for predictions for specific planetary activities (such as increased volcanism/jetting/outgassing/quaking/auroras, etc) due to the lineup of planetary magnetotails and the electric Birkeland currents that might pass through them from the sun to the affected objects, if indeed that is something which happens in PU/EU physics. Such debate is also welcome in this thread.

This year's major conjunctions are as follows (all graphics/image credits to Solar System Scope):

2nd-5th June: Venus-Earth-Moon (Earth will be in or near Venus' magnetotail; Moon will cross Earth's magnetotail on ~5th June)

30th June to 4th July: Mercury-Venus-Earth-Moon-Jupiter-Saturn-Pluto

12-20th July: Mercury-Venus-Mars-Ceres; and Earth-Moon-Jupiter-Saturn-Pluto

Other conjunctions to watch are:

1-5th October: Mercury-Jupiter-Saturn-Pluto
12-18th October: Earth-Mars-(Eris - very far away so may not be affected)
16-17th October: Moon-Earth-Mars-(Eris)
23-25th October: Mercury-Earth-Mars-(Eris)
25-28th October: Mercury-Earth-Moon-Mars-Uranus-(Eris)
5th October-29th November: Jupiter-Saturn (Saturn will be inside Jupiter's magnetotail for the whole of Oct-Nov, basically)

It is hypothesised by some that such a conjunction may have been the cause of the 1908 Tunguska event in Siberia:

30th June, 1908: Mercury-Venus-Moon-Earth-Uranus

One of the denizens of Youtube has commented on the most recent Thunderbolts video:

Quakes are caused by the changing plasma currents, so is magma. Earth will soon pass through he (sic) plasma currents of Jupiter and Saturn simultaneously. If this produces a >9M quake I believe my theory based on the EU would be correct. I expect a 9.7M quake July 7th 2020.

Anyone else want to predict any weirdness on the planets during any of the above major conjunctions this year?

I would like to predict significant Martian dust storms and possibly marsquakes occuring sometime around mid-to-late July.

I would also like to predict a highly energised plume from Io, as well as significant activity on Titan and Ganymede, during Jupiter's major conjunction with Saturn for the months of Oct-Nov.

I also second RkicF8's Youtube comment that Earth may experience significant storms/hurricanes/quakes/volcanism/auroras during our conjunction with Jupiter-Saturn throughout the month of July, but especially early in the month. I will guess we will have several 9.0+ magnitude quakes.

[jacmac]

Thanks for this thread JP Michael.

I have often been frustrated by the small amount of planet data available that is relative to the solar equatorial plane.
As we look at these planetary conjunctions please remember that the planets are NOT IN ONE PLANE.

For example: Jupiter's orbit is inclined 6* to the sun's equatorial plane.
Because of the GREAT DISTANCE of Jupiter from the sun, the 6* inclination to the solar equatorial plane translates
to a maximum north/south movement of about 80 million km above , or below, the solar equatorial plane.

Saturn's inclination is 5.51* to the solar equatorial plane. It moves at a maximum about 138 million miles above or below the same reference plane.
So to predict events, or to understand the planets, it might be good to know where they are in vertical relationships as well as alignments.
I have not been able to find a source of this kind of information without having to do calculations beyond my skill level.
Also, planet orbits can be inclined to a reference plane in more than one direction.
Every where one turns there are more complications.

Jack

[JP Michael]

Some pretty significant solar flares in the last couple of days as Venus moves into syzygy with Earth.

Video & commentary by WAGES WORLD

I also do not think vertical alignments are that important. Electric current coursing through plasma conduits will choose whatever is the shortest path if a connection can be made.

[paladin17]

I also do not think vertical alignments are that important. Electric current coursing through plasma conduits will choose whatever is the shortest path if a connection can be made.

Do you think the current distinguishes between "up/down" and "right/left"? There are no such things in space anyway.

A few other comments:
1) Solar equatorial plane is inclined to 7+ degrees with respect to the ecliptic - in your approach you should probably take that into account.

2) From my experience I would bet that you've missed many of the other configurations. I once did a program that calculated those events (including oppositions, quadratures and sextiles) for 2019, and there were tons of those. Theoretically I can do the same for 2020, but that would require a couple of days of intense work.

3) The general concept of planetary configurations causing some events on Earth (e.g. quakes) or the Sun (e.g. flares) seems doubtful to me - again, I'm saying that after a lot of research into the subject. The main problem is: in hindsight you can almost always find some configuration during a certain event, but you can never solidly predict anything based on them.
I.e. in this kind of research the reproducibility is severely lacking, and there is a noticeable confirmation bias.

[JP Michael]

2) From my experience I would bet that you've missed many of the other configurations. I once did a program that calculated those events (including oppositions, quadratures and sextiles) for 2019, and there were tons of those. Theoretically I can do the same for 2020, but that would require a couple of days of intense work.

I had pondered doing these, but like you say it is too much work. Maybe when I have some more free time.

3) The general concept of planetary configurations causing some events on Earth (e.g. quakes) or the Sun (e.g. flares) seems doubtful to me - again, I'm saying that after a lot of research into the subject. The main problem is: in hindsight you can almost always find some configuration during a certain event, but you can never solidly predict anything based on them.
I.e. in this kind of research the reproducibility is severely lacking, and there is a noticeable confirmation bias.

Yes, it is a significant flaw. But if certain elements in the EU want to believe that electric currents connect the sun to the planets via plasma conduits, shouldn't there be at least some evidence that when planets are in syzygy, at the very least, the resulting effects on Earth, if any, can be concretely ascertained? Obviously there is always more to the picture (e.g. solar maximum or minimum, CMEs, etc). That's probably even more work to figure out and perhaps not worth the energy involved, not to mention sheer lack of comparative data prior to the satellite age.

Perhaps another way to approach this is to look at some concrete phenmenon, e.g. the worst earthquakes (e.g. 8.5+), volcanism or hurricanes in recent history and see if they occurred during a conjunction. At least it would be possible to quantify, or preferrably falsify, a connection. I would like to believe that my original case has been overstated.

I've gone and recorded the top 35 earthquakes. I'll go through them with SolarSystem Scope and discern what conjunctions, if any, were present at the time and see if it's worth chasing up any further.

[paladin17]

Perhaps another way to approach this is to look at some concrete phenmenon, e.g. the worst earthquakes (e.g. 8.5+), volcanism or hurricanes in recent history and see if they occurred during a conjunction. At least it would be possible to quantify, or preferrably falsify, a connection. I would like to believe that my original case has been overstated.

I am not in any way discouraging research into this subject. It is fascinating, and if something can be found, it would benefit all the humanity. So if you have time and motivation to do that, then by all means.

[jacmac]

JP Michael:

Perhaps another way to approach this is to look at some concrete phenmenon, e.g. the worst earthquakes (e.g. 8.5+),

Ben Davidson says a higher risk of earthquakes occurs at peak solar magnetic strength and/or when the magnetic polarity changes in the sun cycles.
Perhaps planet alignments at the same times could be significant.

[JP Michael]

Ben Davidson says a higher risk of earthquakes occurs at peak solar magnetic strength and/or when the magnetic polarity changes in the sun cycles.

How far back do the solar magnetic strength records go, though? That seems to be the major issue in any attempt to quantify potential relationships. Many of the top 35 earthquakes are between 1600 and 1900.

[paladin17]

JP Michael:

Perhaps another way to approach this is to look at some concrete phenmenon, e.g. the worst earthquakes (e.g. 8.5+),

Ben Davidson says a higher risk of earthquakes occurs at peak solar magnetic strength and/or when the magnetic polarity changes in the sun cycles.
Perhaps planet alignments at the same times could be significant.

And the problem you immediately encounter is that not all magnetic peaks and reversals correspond to these quakes (even if the correlation is statistically significant in the first place). I.e. there's a lot of "empty" ones.