1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:12,870 (Music) 2 00:00:12,890 --> 00:00:14,310 Dr. David Morrison: The widespread rumors that 3 00:00:14,330 --> 00:00:17,350 there will be a catastrophe or even a doomsday 4 00:00:17,370 --> 00:00:19,960 on December 21st are wrong. 5 00:00:19,980 --> 00:00:22,220 This is, simply, a big hoax. 6 00:00:22,240 --> 00:00:25,960 It will be a day just like any other. 7 00:00:25,980 --> 00:00:32,070 (Music) 8 00:00:32,090 --> 00:00:34,600 Dr. David Morrison: NASA has received thousands of 9 00:00:34,620 --> 00:00:37,250 emails and calls from members of the public 10 00:00:37,270 --> 00:00:40,300 who are concerned, especially young people. 11 00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:43,370 So it seems only right that NASA scientists should help 12 00:00:43,390 --> 00:00:46,520 to dispel these rumors of doomsday. 13 00:00:46,540 --> 00:00:52,860 (Music) 14 00:00:52,880 --> 00:00:54,580 Dr. David Morrison: There are many different threads 15 00:00:54,600 --> 00:00:57,270 that come together on this doomsday hoax 16 00:00:57,290 --> 00:00:59,050 for December 21st. 17 00:00:59,070 --> 00:01:01,200 They come from a variety of sources. 18 00:01:01,220 --> 00:01:03,230 The only thing they have in common is 19 00:01:03,250 --> 00:01:06,270 that one date of the 21st. 20 00:01:06,290 --> 00:01:12,340 (Music) 21 00:01:12,360 --> 00:01:13,730 Dr. David Morrison: Some people think that the 22 00:01:13,750 --> 00:01:16,970 Maya calendar, from the ancient Maya civilization, 23 00:01:16,990 --> 00:01:19,500 comes to an end on December 21st. 24 00:01:19,520 --> 00:01:23,530 Or even that the Maya predicted some sort of catastrophe. 25 00:01:23,550 --> 00:01:26,800 That's simply not true. That's a modern rumor. 26 00:01:26,820 --> 00:01:29,320 It has nothing to do with the real Maya. 27 00:01:29,340 --> 00:01:35,490 (Music) 28 00:01:35,510 --> 00:01:37,830 Dr. David Morrison: One doomsday rumor has a 29 00:01:37,850 --> 00:01:41,470 planet, a rogue planet named Niburu or Planet X, 30 00:01:41,490 --> 00:01:45,000 coming into the solar system and crashing into Earth. 31 00:01:45,020 --> 00:01:45,950 This is silly. 32 00:01:45,970 --> 00:01:48,680 If there were such an object, anybody could see it. 33 00:01:48,700 --> 00:01:52,260 It would be one of the brightest things in the sky. 34 00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:58,510 (Music) 35 00:01:58,530 --> 00:01:59,840 Dr. David Morrison: There are claims that the 36 00:01:59,860 --> 00:02:02,830 Earth's rotation will change or that the poles 37 00:02:02,850 --> 00:02:05,560 will flip, causing terrible damage. 38 00:02:05,580 --> 00:02:07,460 Well, this just can't happen. 39 00:02:07,480 --> 00:02:11,580 There is no way that we can have a pole flip on the Earth. 40 00:02:11,600 --> 00:02:17,140 (Music) 41 00:02:17,160 --> 00:02:18,980 Dr. David Morrison: Part of the doomsday rumor is 42 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:21,640 that there will be a planetary alignment and that 43 00:02:21,660 --> 00:02:23,600 this will somehow damage the Earth. 44 00:02:23,620 --> 00:02:25,600 Well, they couldn't pick a worse time. 45 00:02:25,620 --> 00:02:27,800 On December 21st, there's no alignment, 46 00:02:27,820 --> 00:02:30,750 the planets are scattered all over the sky. 47 00:02:30,770 --> 00:02:37,290 (Music) 48 00:02:37,310 --> 00:02:39,150 Dr. David Morrison: There is a giant black hole at 49 00:02:39,170 --> 00:02:42,690 the center of our galaxy, 30,000 light years away. 50 00:02:42,710 --> 00:02:45,000 Some people think it's going to suck us in and 51 00:02:45,020 --> 00:02:46,420 destroy the Earth. 52 00:02:46,440 --> 00:02:49,280 But astronomers know that's impossible. 53 00:02:49,300 --> 00:02:55,600 (Music) 54 00:02:55,620 --> 00:02:57,240 Dr. David Morrison: The Earth's rotation axis 55 00:02:57,260 --> 00:03:01,070 wobbles slowly with a 26,000-year period and some 56 00:03:01,090 --> 00:03:04,210 people say this period is about to end. 57 00:03:04,230 --> 00:03:08,550 But it never ends. It just keeps on going. 58 00:03:08,570 --> 00:03:14,410 (Music) 59 00:03:14,430 --> 00:03:15,970 Dr. David Morrison: We have all seen frequent news 60 00:03:15,990 --> 00:03:19,780 reports of volcanoes and earthquakes and some 61 00:03:19,800 --> 00:03:21,530 people think there are more of them. 62 00:03:21,550 --> 00:03:22,840 But there aren't. 63 00:03:22,860 --> 00:03:25,130 The frequency of earthquakes and volcanic 64 00:03:25,150 --> 00:03:27,140 eruptions is no greater now 65 00:03:27,160 --> 00:03:29,660 than any time in the past. 66 00:03:29,680 --> 00:03:35,940 (Music) 67 00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:37,260 Dr. David Morrison: There's a recent internet 68 00:03:37,280 --> 00:03:40,210 rumor that NASA has confirmed that there will be 69 00:03:40,230 --> 00:03:42,850 three days of total darkness on the Earth, 70 00:03:42,870 --> 00:03:45,040 starting December 22nd. 71 00:03:45,060 --> 00:03:47,750 Well, NASA didn't say that. Nobody said it. 72 00:03:47,770 --> 00:03:50,970 It's just one more crazy idea. 73 00:03:50,990 --> 00:03:56,840 (Music) 74 00:03:56,860 --> 00:03:58,800 Dr. David Morrison: The Earth is always subject 75 00:03:58,820 --> 00:04:01,360 to meteors or even small asteroids 76 00:04:01,380 --> 00:04:03,010 striking the atmosphere. 77 00:04:03,030 --> 00:04:05,520 Astronomers keep track of these objects and 78 00:04:05,540 --> 00:04:08,190 predict any impacts that will take place. 79 00:04:08,210 --> 00:04:11,480 None are going to take place this month.