Revisiting the 2012 doom prophecy and the celestial indicators?

Question

I don't know the exact origins of the doom prophecy for 2012, but after debunking these "alignment" claims, I have discovered something I didn't know before.
Sure, the ecliptic and the galactic equator intersect at two points in Sagittarius. The galactic center is about 5 or 6 degrees away. Not impressive. And this "alignment" occurs every year. But what I discovered is that the intersection of these two planes occurs *right* on the winter solstice, maybe even within a couple of *hours* of it.
Now, imagine someone poring over charts and old calendars and seeing this, apparently corresponding with the last day of the Aztec calendar. Sure, the person should have asked some questions about it, but if they didn't know this happens every year, I could see why doom-diggers would flip out. Is this what got them all excited? Well at least it wasn't a total waste. I learned something.

Oops, I meant one point in Sagittarius. The other intersection is in Gemini or Taurus.

Dr. Kiss, I know what's going to happen on that day. A lot of gullible, intellectually lazy adults and a sensationalist media are going to scare the crap out of a lot of children. I've seen it before and that's the main reason I hate when TV stations, in all of their collective scientific ignorance, do some semi-tongue-in-cheek report and interview with a proponent of stupidity, with no skeptic or true scientist getting a fair say. Then some dumb writer for the news will have them conclude with the anchor-person saying, "Well, kids, just in case this doesn't happen, you'd better do your homework...just to be on the safe side." Wink at co-anchor, grin, say good night, sports guy makes an inaudible remark in the background, cue music, go to commercial.

Oops agai, I meant Mayan.

Ingineer, the galactic center, as it is currently estimated to be, is not going to cross the ecliptic or the 18h meridian for a long time. As for the galactic plane, it intersects the ecliptic extremely close to the solstices. So what do you mean by this 15 year margin of error? For what?

cbirch, funny, I never challenged the accuracy of the claim that the calender ends or on what date. I never believed it was significant in the first place. But what you say is not at all surprising. Not only do the woo-woos make all sorts of nonsense claims based on the most flimsy or irrelevant of evidence, but their very premises are wrong! Thanks, I didn't know that.

Jesse, you said "something like that." I have studied this myself. There is no planetary or celestial alignment of any kind on that date, that doesn't occur every year. Sure there are a multitude of sources supporting virtually *every* kind of bogus claim that has ever been made.

When I said "supporting," above, I meant defending. Real support would be verification. That doesn't happen with bogus claims.

Sorry, scauma, the "facts" you quote are *not* facts. As I said, the sun does NOT line up with the center of the galaxy. It will miss it by the same 5 or 6 degrees that it misses it every year. And what do you mean by the completion of the precession of the equinoxes? Complete what? Precession doesn't have a start or a finish. Now if you mean the solstice crosses the galactic plane on that date, if it is true, then that is a fun coincidence which has absolutely no effect on us...unless you can prove otherwise. It's about as important as when Halley's comet reaches aphelion.

Gevera, thanks. Like I said before, it's funny that their premise isn't even correct. As far as alignments, darned if I can find any. And let's keep in mind, the Mayans didn't have a clue about the galaxy, much less its equator or center.

Answer 1

good for you. learning is good. We are all proud.

naw, just giving ya a hard time.

really though. is it really worth 5 points to ask a redundant question?

I guess points are just points though.

I can't wait till 2013 so I can hear the next doom prophecy.

I didn't think about the yearly line up. Its a good point.

Answer 2

You have a fundamental misunderstanding going on. The Mayan Long Count doesn't end in 2012. 12-21-2012 is the FIRST day (not the last day of anything!) of Baktun 13. The Long Count goes up to Baktun 19 (a few thousand years from now) and then another, bigger cycle begins.
It is interesting that the alignment happens on day 1 of Baktun 13, and it's possible that the Mayans figured out the date of that alignment and "pointed" a memorable calendar date at it. But that still doesn't mean the calendar is ending or the world is ending.

Answer 3

I watched a whole special on that on the National Geographic channel a while ago and then another one on the History Channel. One was specifically about dooms day and the other was about the Aztecs and how they figured out that the "world will end on the winter solstice of 2012" (which is what.... Dec 2nd or 12th? Not really sure). I then looked on the internet about it because I found it all rather fasctinating. So I don't know if you were the first to discover it but the fact that you figured that out is pretty darn amazing. I'm rather interested in what is going to happen on the day the Aztecs dubbed doom day.
I think this is what got them all excited because of the fact of how it was figured out and that it is in the near future and are excited/anticipating what is going to happen.

Answer 4

well certain scientific facts are known to occur on that day. one being the precession of the equinox being completed, and the other being the alignment of our sun towards the exact center of the milky way. what ramifications either one of these events have to any potential dooms day is as yet unknown. it seems most of the this theory stems from the ending of the mayan calendar, but it is a common misconception that the ending of the calendar corresponds with the ending of the earth, it simply means that one era will end and another will begin.

Answer 5

Most star charts seem to show this intersection just east of the solstice (in 2000.0 coordinates), which means it would have happened in 1999. Of course, the galactic equator is difficult to precisely determine. I have seen an uncertainty of ±15 years on that, so 2012 is a possibility.

Answer 6

The Nostradamus Lost Book is on History channel Sunday night. I read the book, and that got me started on researching 2012. A LOT of totally unrelated sources agree it's significant.

There's something about a galactic alignment.....the seven closest stars, or something like that. A once in many thousands of years occurance.

Something to consider, whether you believe in it or not.

Answer 7

Humans which are prone to fears and ignorance brings speculation concerning the nature of the Expanse of the Universe. Hence we have theories as well as supertitions which speculate on the Birth and death of the Universe..Therefore one supertition or one guess is as good as another.
In the Real world every thing must be taken with a grain of Salt.

Answer 8

Interesting. I'm glad you shared this with us. Gloom and doom seekers tend to go off on only small amount of the facts.

Answer 9

its the mayan calendar and it does not end, IT DOESNT END! i hate it when people say that. one part of it ends and another begins. its basically the mayan equivalent of going from the 1800's to the 1900's

Answer 10

http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/question.php?number=686

there you go all the answers about the alignment right there.