Do the planets have any affect on the tides?
The tidal force generated by a planet is based on two things – the mass of the planet and its distance from the earth – and it is the latter of these that is far more significant. The nearest approach of Venus to earth is still more than 100 times further away than the moon. Hence the tidal force is approximately 0.000054 times that of the moon. The next most significant planet is Jupiter, where the tidal force is 0.000005 times that of the moon. So as you can see, the effect of the planets is negligible. Even if all the planets line up such that their effects are combined, the additional force would be minuscule. During 3rd May 2000, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn lined up with the sun and moon. At the time a rumour circulated that the collective gravitational pull would initiate earthquakes, tidal waves and volcanic eruptions, something which never happened.
The tidal force generated by a planet is based on two things – the mass of the planet and its distance from the earth – and it is the latter of these that is far more significant. The nearest approach of Venus to earth is still more than 100 times further away than the moon. Hence the tidal force is approximately 0.000054 times that of the moon. The next most significant planet is Jupiter, where the tidal force is 0.000005 times that of the moon. So as you can see, the effect of the planets is negligible. Even if all the planets line up such that their effects are combined, the additional force would be minuscule. During 3rd May 2000, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn lined up with the sun and moon. At the time a rumour circulated that the collective gravitational pull would initiate earthquakes, tidal waves and volcanic eruptions, something which never happened.
