CONSPIRACY theorists say doomsday will come in December 2012 when Earth will be destroyed in a collision (or knocked off its trajectory by the galactic force of a near miss) with a large planetary object hurling through space.
This rogue planet, moving on a 3,600-year orbit, was discovered by the ancient Mesopotamians who named it Nibiru. The Mayans who also knew about the planet, associated it with the end of their “Long Count” calendar in December 2012.
Some end-times proponents insist NASA is tracking Nibiru (also known as Planet X) but the information is kept under wraps as part of a global conspiracy.
The ‘official’ silence, has, however, been broken by astrologers who claim by 2009, Nibiru could already be seen with the naked eye from the southern hemisphere.
Star-gazers also argue Earth’s axis is already tilting and the length of the day is changing under the Planet X’s influence. So is Nibiru an Armageddon planet or an astronomical baloney?
Whichever, it has caused enough concern among a section of Malaysians for the Dewan Negara, at its recent sitting, to assuage the angst of some Senators by diverting from its earthly agenda to focus on the supposed impending cataclysmic clash between Earth and Niburu.
Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili told the Upper House at the time that the National Space Agency was working closely with international space agencies, including NASA, to verify such a claim.
“According to NASA, there is no evidence of Nibiru’s existence. So far, none of the identified objects pose any direct threat to Earth,” he explained.
Many astrology buffs are unconvinced though, alluding to documented reports that Planet X was found in the outer ridges of the Solar System in 1983 by a NASA satellite. One theory even holds that on one orbital movement round the Sun and while passing the Earth, Niburu broke the ice shelf and caused the great Biblical flood.
But to the scientific community, Armageddon isn’t likely to happen in December 2012. Some even call Nibiru a hoax other than the fact that it’s the ancient Akkadian name for the planet Jupiter. Whether it will predictably bump into Earth next year is, from the scientific perspective, pure conjecture — hopefully.
March 19 (yesterday) was also supposed to portend ill for the world. Known as the day of the Super Moon, it is when the lunar sphere comes as close as it ever has, or will, to Earth.
Some believe this phenomenon will be followed by catastrophic storms, earthquakes and other natural disasters, theorising that since the moon was only 221,556 miles away on March 19, its gravity at such proximity was bound to upset the seismic balance on Earth.
Astronomers have dismissed the Super Moon notion, saying it’s actually a lunar perigee (when the moon appears bigger). If something bad had happened on March 19, they argue, it certainly had nothing to do with the moon.
Interestingly, like-minded skeptics, including geologists and engineers, are gathering in quake-stricken Christchurch today to pooh-pooh what they consider “junk science” predictions that New Zealand’s second largest city will be rocked by another tremor this weekend.
A quasi-mystic mathematician who made the prediction, claimed he also foretold last month’s 6.3 magnitude quake in Christchurch by studying the moon. Small wonder this naysayer is known as Moonman.
Generally, astrologers concur a Super Moon signals the start of a moonageddon that would coincide with fierce storms, earthquakes and floods.
They say both the New England hurricane of 1938 and the Australian Hunter Valley floods of 1955 happened during Super Moons and the last Super Moon occurred in 2005 at around the same time as Hurricane Katrina and the Aceh tsunami.
And this year, Queensland was ravaged by floods and Japan devastated by an earthquake-tsunami (not forgetting Christchurch ) close to the appearance of another Super Moon on March 19.
However, scientists at the International Centre for Radio Astronomy affirm all that will happen during a Super Moon is Earth experiencing a lower than usual low tide and a higher than usual high tide due to the effects of lunar gravity.
Extreme weathers during past Super Moons, they explain, were just coincidences, considering almost all previous predictions of natural disasters or events never happened such as the false alarm that the sun would be pulled apart during a syzygy (planetary alignment).
Natural disasters – when they do occur – are humbling experiences. They expose the utter helplessness of humanity in the face of forces so powerful that they can, in one sweep, wipe whole towns and cities off the face of the Earth.
Nature is usually very forgiving of mankind’s scant regard for her laws but when she decides to unleash her fury and strike back, heaven help us! There is no escape.