2012: Shadow of the Dark Rift

Science Daily ^ | 12-28-11 | ScienceDaily

[Bullish]

ScienceDaily (Dec. 28, 2011) — One of the most bizarre theories about 2012 has built up with very little attention to facts. This idea holds that a cosmic alignment of the sun, Earth, the center of our galaxy -- or perhaps the galaxy's thick dust clouds -- on the winter solstice could for some unknown reason lead to destruction. Such alignments can occur but these are a regular occurrence and can cause no harm (and, indeed, will not even be at its closest alignment during the 2012 solstice.) The details are as follows: Viewed far from city lights, a glowing path called the Milky Way can be seen arching across the starry sky. This path is formed from the light of millions of stars we cannot see individually. It coincides with the mid plane of our galaxy, which is why our galaxy is also named the Milky Way.

Thick dust clouds also populate the galaxy. And while infrared telescopes can see them clearly, our eyes detect these dark clouds only as irregular patches where they dim or block the Milky Way's faint glow. The most prominent dark lane stretches from the constellations Cygnus to Sagittarius and is often called the Great Rift, sometimes the Dark Rift.

Continue article at Science daily site.

[Bullish]

This probably won't put a dent in the kooks belief in the end of the world in 2012. but it does show that astronomers aren't buying it.

[the invisib1e hand]

the world could just as well seize up for a bunch of other reasons. the secularist version of millenial fever seems to be upon us.

[cripplecreek]

[sinanju]

Hey! I thought this was supposed to herald the age when peace will guide the planets and love will steer the stars?

Oh, right. The hippies became misanthropic eco-loons some years back...

[KoRn]

Might be of interest.

[cripplecreek]

the sun appears to enter the part of the sky occupied by the Dark Rift every year at the same time, and its arrival there in Dec. 2012 portends precisely nothing.

Anyone who pays any real attention to the sky knows this.

The saddest part of this crap is the fact that it has completely obscured the real achievement that the Mayans managed to work out a 52,000 year calendar. That's a pretty awesome mathematical feat for primitive savages.

[Domestic Church]

“...when peace will guide the planets and love will steer the stars”

Do you mean the flatus of the age of aquarius?

[Bullish]

LOL.... You could say that again.

[Lucas McCain]

What’s with that hairdo, anyway? Is he going for the mad scientist look?

[cripplecreek]

Kim Jung Il's love child maybe?

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks KoRn, a fun one.

---

join or quit view topics view or post blog bookmark post new topic subscribe

---