Dec. 21, 2012- The end of the Mayan Calander- End of the world?

[ThePreciating]

Hopefully for them it won't involve chocolate or a man named Cortes. Just ask the Incas.

[Zguy28]

What if you had a time machine capable of sending you into the future, but when you set it for Dec 23 2012 it wouldn't work?

[Symbol]

Pretending that I know what I'm talking about...the Mayan were pretty smart astronomers.

Believe it or not, using their calendar identifies 21/12/2012 correctly as the date on which the Sun, on its path through space, crosses the line of the Galactic equator. So there.

The Galactic Equator?!!...well, you know those picture you see of other galaxies and they have that black band across the middle of the galaxy? well thats the equator of the galaxy. Like other galaxies, the suns motion means that it will be in line with our galaxies equator at that date. The Mayans obviously saw this as a major astronomical event.

Winter solstice suns were crucial in old times - it told people that on the one hand they were in the darkest time of the year but also that the dark winter was coming to an end and moving towards longer days.

I like my theory better...

[Warhead36]

Party at my house on the 20th!

[WVUforREDSKINS]

Pretending that I know what I'm talking about...the Mayan were pretty smart astronomers.

Believe it or not, using their calendar identifies 21/12/2012 correctly as the date on which the Sun, on its path through space, crosses the line of the Galactic equator. So there.

The Galactic Equator?!!...well, you know those picture you see of other galaxies and they have that black band across the middle of the galaxy? well thats the equator of the galaxy. Like other galaxies, the suns motion means that it will be in line with our galaxies equator at that date. The Mayans obviously saw this as a major astronomical event.

Winter solstice suns were crucial in old times - it told people that on the one hand they were in the darkest time of the year but also that the dark winter was coming to an end and moving towards longer days.

I don't really know much either although (I think) the first few planets will be in a line that day and many people seem to think it will cause an extraordinary amount of gravitational force.

[tizzod]

Considering they are pretty much all gone anyway, maybe it just means they were crappy mathematicians?

[alexey]

Winter solstice suns were crucial in old times - it told people that on the one hand they were in the darkest time of the year but also that the dark winter was coming to an end and moving towards longer days.

Well sure all that astronomy stuff was important back then because they were growing their own food. We don't care about that now cuz we can just go to Giant and buy stuff.

[China]

What if you had a time machine capable of sending you into the future, but when you set it for Dec 23 2012 it wouldn't work?

No it would work fine, you'd just end up in empty space.

[thehogs]

Cortez is a good example of how dangerous it is to believe all this end-of-the-world, its in the book, we're all doomed stuff.
According to legend, the Aztec leader Moctezuma believed that Cortez, and his wee Spanish army looking for gold, was their God, Quetzacoatl, returning to the homleand as predicted. Thinking he is a God, Moctezuma does nothing to stop him until its too late. Result - utter carnage and disaster for the Aztecs and central america becomes part of the Spanish empire.

[thehogs]

Well sure all that astronomy stuff was important back then because they were growing their own food. We don't care about that now cuz we can just go to Giant and buy stuff.

[Mufumonk]

Reversal of the magnetic poles.........

[Zguy28]

No it would work fine, you'd just end up in empty space.

Not if time ceased also.

[DCsportsfan53]

Considering they are pretty much all gone anyway, maybe it just means they were crappy mathematicians?

Their ability to VERY accurately calculate celestial events centuries into the future would suggest otherwise. On top of that, scientists of today do agree that the planets, sun and solar system will align on that date in a way which happens once every some billion years. The fact that they were able to accurately predict that event to the year, let alone within days, is absolutely amazing given their limited technology. I have to imagine that while we *know* more about our solar system scientifically through exploration and pictures, their understanding of the way it worked eclipses ours. Their celestial calendar is incredibly accurate and it's almost unfathomable to imagine how they did it at the time.

[wantarace17]

All that means is that the Mayan's didn't have anything scheduled on or after December 22 2012. Probablly booked time off for Christmas Break.

rofl

[zoony]

On top of that, scientists of today do agree that the planets, sun and solar system will align on that date in a way which happens once every some billion years.

Does anyone have any information on this?