The world is ending, not! The latest film to portray the end of life as we know, "2012," opens in theaters on Friday, and NASA aims to debunk the myths around the Mayan version of the end of the world.
The movie, and the Mayan calendar, posit that the end of the world will occur on Dec. 21st, 2012. Doomsday revolves around claims that the end of the world will come as an obscure Planet X, also known as Nibiru, collides with Planet Earth.
Supposedly discovered by the Sumerians, the planet's impact with Earth coincides with the end of a cycle of the Mayan calanedar. NASA was quick to point out that the Mayan calendar does not in fact end on December 21, 2012. A cycle ends, and another period begins immediately afterward.
NASA doesn't susually speak out about these sorts of things, but another pair of movies brought astronomy to the forefront of people's attentions earlier. "Armaggedon" and "Deep Impact" both posited the impact of asteroids or comets with Earth. That was another time when moviegoers focused on the skies.
In that case, there is actual a theoretical possibility of an asteroid hitting Earth. It's actually happened before, in fact, as with the end of the dinosaurs.
In this case, the theory is about a wandering planet, a far more dicey proposition. Modern Maya in Guatemala and Mexico have also rushed to debunk the "prophecy".
On the other hand, it makes a dang wonderful movie, bound to be tops at the box office. Doesn't it?
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