Astronomy December 21 2012: What will Happen on this Day?

Much has been made of what is going to happen in astronomy December 21, 2012. Some have even gone so far as to say that the world will come to an end on this future winter solstice. Still others believe the date signals the end of an old age and the beginning of a new. What, then, is actually happening on this date, and why has so much significance been attributed to it?

What's Special about 12-21-12?

The theories regarding 12-21-12 stem from the calendar of the ancient Mayan civilization. The Mayans paid close attention to the movements of the planets and stars, and based their calendar on observations they made about cycles of movement in the heavenly bodies. Their astronomical observations were so accurate that even today their major temples, such as Chichen-Itza in Mexico, remain highly accurate timepieces, aligning with the seasonal solstices and equinoxes.

The Mayan's collected data about the movement of the stars and planets led them to create a cyclical calendar. While the calendars of the modern world also include cycles, such as months and years, the Mayan cycles were much more complex. On December 21, 2012, one of the longest of these cycles comes to an end. It is this "reset" of the Long Count on the Mayan calendar that has led some to theorize the end of the world on that day.

Is There Scientific Evidence?

Also on this date, it is said that the Earth, the Sun, the constellation of the Pleiades, and the exact center of the Milky Way will be in alignment. Modern astronomers debate the location of the exact center of the Milky Way, and how perfectly aligned it might actually be with the Earth and Sun on that date. In addition, the movement of the Earth across this area takes far longer than a single day--in fact, the Earth can be said to have been traversing the galactic center for some time.

In short, the auspicious nature of December 21, 2012 remains controversial. Like many past predictions of apocalypse, it is likely to pass without incident.