Dec. 17, 1919, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter and Neptune Will Align

From The Daily Times, Wilson, N.C., Monday, Dec. 15, 1919.  The article said 165 days but it is really 165 years. Pluto was not discovered until Feb. 18, 1930, and it orbits around the sun once every 248 years.

No Need to Worry. . . While Planets Are on a Line With the Sun They Are Not Out of Orbit

On account of a number of enquiries regarding the publication by an alarmist that something may happen to the world on Wednesday, because the planets happen to be on a line with each other, we are publishing an explanation of the situation and the statement that there is no reason to be alarmed, from Astronomer D.T. Wilson of Cleveland, Ohio.

The planets are not out of their orbits, and are moving with the same regularity as usual, only they happen to be opposite each other, which is something a little unusual. Fortunately for us all, the Lord is still handling the proposition, and we need not worry until He gets ready to wind up the affairs of this world and then we may all look out. But Astronomer Wilson says that, as is well known, the solar system consists of a central son and eight planets, of which the earth is one revolving around this central son in nearly the same place, all revolving in a counter-clockwise direction. These planets are at different distances from the sun and therefore have different periods of revolution. The distance of Mercury, the nearest planet, from the sun, is 36 million miles. The distance of Neptune, the remotest, is 2,792 million miles. The time for a complete revolution around the sun in the case of Mercury is 88 days. That of Neptune is nearly 165 days (miles). The time of revolution of the earth is one year. It is the earth’s period of revolution which determines the length of our year. The other planets are at distances ranging between those of Mercury and Neptune and have periods of revolution ranging between 88 days and 165 years.

Since the planets all move at different rates around the sun, it is evident that at some time two, three, four or even all eight of the planets will be nearly in line with the sun and on the same side of it. It often happens that two or three plants are nearly in line with the center of the sun. But the occurrence of a large number of planets nearly in line with the sun is a rare event, and the larger the number of planets the rarer will such coincidences occur. It so happens that about Dec. 17, 1919, the planets Mercury, Venus, Jupiter and Neptune are nearly in line with the center of the sun, but they are on a different line separated from the former group by 37 degrees or a sixth of a revolution. Of course this grouping of the planets is rare and interesting, but it means nothing which is not thoroughly understood, and is in no way a forecast of events on the earth. Rarer combinations have occurred in the past and will occur in the future.