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Orbits of Jupiter and Venus Affect Earth's Climate, Says Study (usatoday.com)

According to a new study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, gravitational tugs from the planets Jupiter and Venus gradually affect Earth's climate and life forms. The phenomenon occurs every 405,000 years and has been going on for at least 215 million years. USA Today reports: Jupiter and Venus are such strong influences because of their size and proximity. Venus is the nearest planet to us -- at its farthest, only about 162 million miles -- and roughly similar in mass. Jupiter is much farther away, but is the Solar System's largest planet. The study says that every 405,000 years, due to wobbles in our orbit caused by the gravitational pulls of the two planets, seasonal differences here on Earth become more intense. Summers are hotter and winters colder; dry times drier, wet times wetter. At the height of the cycle, more rain falls in the tropics, allowing lakes there to fill up. This compares to the other end of the cycle, when seasonal rains in the tropics "are less and lakes have much less of a tendency to become as full," [study lead author Dennis] Kent said. The results showed that the 405,000-year cycle is the most regular astronomical pattern linked to the Earth's annual turn around the sun, he said. Right now, we are in the middle of the cycle, as the most recent peak was around 200,000 years ago.

6 of 208 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Tax system to tax gravity... by Vinegar+Joe · · Score: 5, Funny

    The Solar System Does Not Effect Climate A Whole Lot

    Jupiter and Venus's orbits might have some *slight* effects but are nothing compared to the billions of smoke stacks spewing carbon into the air.

    You forget about that big yellow thing up in the sky?

    --
    "The average reporter we talk to is 27 years old......They literally know nothing." - Ben Rhodes
  2. Re:Well well by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    No, it doesn't. What it does is show amazingly well how desperately some people will cling to anything in order to explain away things they don't want to take responsibility for with some ridiculously irrelevant theory rather than deal with the facts which demands a change in behaviour.

    The mere idea that these planets would have greater influence than us pumping the atmosphere full of known greenhouse gasses is outright moronic. But of course people like you jump for it, because you get to say "the dog ate my homework!", or in this case "it was all the planets fault, we can't do anything about it so let's party and forget about the whole thing." Because that's the kind of retard you are.

  3. Re:Tax system to tax gravity... by michelcolman · · Score: 5, Funny

    Not sure about the bottles, but lots of candy bar wrappers are indeed from Mars.

  4. Climate change is still the bigger influencer by mendred · · Score: 5, Informative

    For those who didn't RTFA - No this doesn't disprove global warming as a result of emissions. quote from the end of the article

    "The climate impact from the planets pales when compared to how humans are affecting the planet from burning fossil fuels, for example. "It's pretty far down on the list of so many other things that can affect climate on times scales that matter to us," Kent said.

    "All the carbon dioxide we're pouring into the air right now is the obvious big enchilada. That's having an effect we can measure right now. The planetary cycle is a little more subtle.""

  5. Re: Tax system to tax gravity... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Challenge to your assertion: did that ecosystem have 10 billion humans in it, largely living in the places which were flooded back then but not now?

    (The answer is 'no')

  6. Re: Tax system to tax gravity... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Climate skeptics more eco-friendly than global-warming alarmists: study

    "A study by Cornell and the University of Michigan researchers found that those “highly concerned” about climate change were less likely to engage in recycling and other eco-friendly behaviors than global-warming skeptics."

    LOL!