ARTICLE.

This is an exerpt from the original article in ASTRONOMY (which is the world's best-selling astronomy magazine) by Bob Berman. The article is one of Bob Berman's "Strange Universe" series of articles. This article represents the first time that The Half Right Angle Rule has been brought to the attention of the general public.      
The article appeared in The June 2010 number.

 

------------ Recently, a British reader, Roger Elliott, sent me his interesting observation that all planets have a bizarre numerical connection with Earth, and with 1/8th of a circle, which is 45°, or half of a right angle. Check it out:
         During precisely one Earth year, each planet performs a certain number of spins on its axis, and then rotates a further additional angle which is always very nearly a multiple of 45°.

    For example, in exactly one Earth year, slow-turning Venus spins once, and then a further angle of 181.08° which is just 1.08 degrees from 4 x 45°. During the same Earth year, Jupiter rotates 883 times and then an additional angle of 88.8°, just 1.2° from 90° -  a multiple of 45°. In a year, Saturn makes 822 complete spins and then turns another 227.14°, just  2.14° from a multiple of 45° (45° x 5 = 225°). This works for absolutely every planet.
     Astoundingly, this 45-degree business continues with each planet’s orbital period as well. During Mercury’s “year” of 87.969 days, Earth revolves in its solar orbit 86.7°, which misses a half-right-angle multiple (2 x 45°) by just 3.3°. During Mars’ orbit of 686.98 days, Earth makes one revolution and then moves a further 317.09°, which is just 2.09° more than a 45° multiple. (45° x 7 = 315°). On it goes. Every planet with no exception. Even Pluto and the three largest asteroids. None deviate by more than a few degrees from a 45° multiple. The odds against this being mere chance are thousands to one. To masochistically check all the data, go to Roger’s website, created in sync with this article:  www.halfrightanglerule.com .
        Why should Earth be linked with every other planet’s rotation and revolution? And why half-right-angles? Indeed, here now is the first time this has ever been published. Since it lacks any scientific justification, should we dismiss it as coincidence, a la Bode? Is it simply an odd result of statistical cherry-picking? Or, rather, does it fascinatingly hint at some undiscovered celestial mechanics, perhaps involving phase-locking or particle effects?--------------

The article is longer than this; but the remainder of the article deals with other (albeit related) topics.