In my ongoing campaign to broaden this NG to consideration of any and all possible sources of teotw (*sigh*), while simultaneously hugging the ground and dodging heavy incoming auto-fire of 'about' NG purpose statements, I present the following snippet from The Probe, Vol. #4, Issue #1, Winter 1998/99:

The Big One Gets Attention from Lloyds of London
While some dismiss the idea of a global cataclysm around May 5, 2000 as a testimony to millenium madness [sound familiar ? -HB], it appears that there are preparations for the possibility.

The prospect of the conjunction of the major planets of our solar system on May 5, 2000, will exert an additional gravitational strain on Earth. When Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, plus the Sun and Moon, quietly tug at terra firma the result could be what is called "pole shift". As the crust of our planet is subject to movement on a liquid core, this added stress could create a new north and south pole along with tidal waves a thousand feet high, earthquakes off the Richter scale, volcanic activity and storms around the world that could destroy civilization as we know it.

Lloyds recently set up a millenium study group formed by D. P. Mann who is part of one of the largest non-maritime syndicates at Lloyds. This group has asked Dr. Julian Salt, who specializes in analyzing risks of the natural kind for insurance companies, to examine the May 5, 2000 threat for a seminar of Lloyd's directors and underwriters.

-- Himalayan Blue (hb@k2.y), April 08, 1999

Answers

H, Do we know what happend last time they lined up? Or maybe I should ask, when did they line up last?

-- Moore Dinty moore (not@thistime.com), April 08, 1999.

There is evidence pointing to cataclysms at circa 12,000 BC and 4,700 BC.

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), April 08, 1999.

Man, wait until Gary North hears about this! J

-- a (a@a.a), April 08, 1999.

On May 5, 2000, the Sun, Moon and the five naked-eye planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn) will be within a 26 degree (25 degrees, 53 minutes of arc) span in the sky at their closest grouping.

On February 5, 1962, the Sun, Moon and the five naked-eye planets were within a 16 degree, 9 minutes of arc span in the sky at their closest grouping. It was the closest grouping of any that has occurred or will occur between 1187 and 3000 AD.

Didn't hear about any pole-shifting cataclysm in February 1962, when the planets were in a significantly closer-to-straight lineup in the sky than they will be next year, did you?

That's because an actual calculation of the gravitational forces involved shows that the gravitational tug on the Earth by all the other planets on May 5, 2000 will be _less_ than it has been on _thousands_ of other dates in the past century. That force will be quite insignificant compared to the gravitational force of our Moon.

There is no factual basis for assertions that the May 5, 2000 lineup will cause any noticeable effect on the Earth.

It is a good "hook" for selling books and tabloids, though.

-- No Spam Please (No_Spam_Please@anon_ymous.com), April 08, 1999.

Spoilsport !

-- Himalayan Blue (hb@k2.y), April 08, 1999.

"Have you heard? It's in the stars! Next July we collide with Mars! What a swell party this is!"

Sorry, forgot the name of the song and composer.

-- just sunshine (lurkinghere@ho.me), April 08, 1999.

So THAT was the problem!!

Ah, yes. I remember 1962 well. I was thirteen, had a bike, a dog, two buddies, and a swimmin' hole. Why, you could say my life was just about perfect. Then along about February, one day I actually TALKED to a girl. I mean, like she was human or something. Then, I started growing hair in the STRANGEST places.

Well, sir, I can tell you, it was all downhill since then. And now I know it was them damn naked planets all along. I'm a lot older now, but I'm gonna watch out next May for sure. The Missus wouldn't mind if I grew some hair on my head this time, but I don't think she would cotton to me talking to any new girls! (Yeah, like that'll happen)

-- Lon Frank (Gezzerville@the.bayou), April 08, 1999.

Unless my memory has been replaced by government/alien interference, we had a 5-planet conjunction in the early '80s. The "tug of war" theories and the accompanying BS went on for months prior to it. World cataclism, earthquakes, tornadoes, pole shift, etc. were predicted.

It looked pretty cool in a rifle scope. I imagine that with a proper astronomy scope it was better.

Nothing happened. It just looked cool.

Sorry.

-- Scott (duhelmet@aol.com), April 09, 1999.

In 1962 I believe the Beatles came on the seen and the world was never the same...

All we need is love

-- Brian (imager@ampsc.com), April 09, 1999.

What about in August 1987? We had the Harmonic Convergence, where numerous planets lined up in Leo (Sun, Moon, Venus, Mercury, and Mars, but not the heavyweights Saturn or Jupiter). New Age folks convened in the deserts and wildernesses for anticipated "occurrences". Nothing happened, except the stock market did reach an all time high.

-- Debbie (dbspence@usa.net), April 09, 1999.

yes there was a planetary line in the late 70s or early 80s as described by John Gribben in the Jupiter Effect, nothing happened at least here on earth, i think its something to do with the fact that gravitational effect is minimal at the distances involved I've forgotten the scientific law

-- dick of the dale (rdale@coynet.com), April 09, 1999.

just sunshine,...it's from one of my favorite movies..."High Society" with Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra, and Bing Crosby. The song in question is sung by Bing and Frank...in the library, at the bar...great scene...."High Society" by the way was a musical made from the original film with Katherine Hepburn and Jimmy Stewart I think..."The Philadelphia Story"....I could be wrong about that title...another great film for any one needing a couple hours of pleasant distraction.

-- Donna Barthuley (moment@pacbell.net), April 09, 1999.

No Spam...post your source of reference please.

"On February 5, 1962, the Sun, Moon and the five naked-eye planets were within a 16 degree, 9 minutes of arc span in the sky at their closest grouping. It was the closest grouping of any that has occurred or will occur between 1187 and 3000 AD."

-- (orwelliator@biosys.net), April 09, 1999.