UPDATE 27/11/09
Dublin Mick has sent me a link to an excellent site on this topic. This is a very well written article. While it is based on Newtonian Physics it is still well worth reading.
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There are literally thousands of articles and videos currently on the web discussing the portents of 2012. The genesis of this recent phenomenon lies in the calendar of the ancient Mayan culture. The Mayan's had an extremely sophisticated – and accurate - method of keeping track of time and the stars. It was based on three separate calendars. The most important and most encompassing of these calendars holds the 'Long Count' - the period from the beginning until the end of time. The Long Count finishes on December 21st 2012 (21/12/12).
While this may be considered as a minor fact worthy only of note only to archaeologists it coincides exactly with a very rare celestial event called The Holy Cross or Galactic Alignment. This occurs once every 26000 years.
This "coincidence" has spawned many end-of-the-world theories and a tinfoil hat is advisable when reviewing many of them (grin). There are a couple of ideas that I have come across that may deserve further investigation. Despite their seemingly disparate nature the 2 theories that I will discuss share a similar outcome – that of a shift in the Earth’s magnetic pole.
The idea of a shift in the Earth’s magnetic pole is a hard reality known to Geologists. Rock analysis has shown that it has happened frequently - cooling lava retains a trace of the planet’s magnetic polarity. There is no known terrestrial mechanism to explain how it happens.
Theory 1: The return of Planet X.
Planet X goes by many alternative names such as Nibiru or Wormwood. It is alleged to return every 3600 years or so. X is reported as either a large planet or as a planet orbiting a brown dwarf star which is a companion to our own. It is seemingly on a long elliptical orbit and hence is “invisible” for long periods until its sudden appearance on closest approach to the Sun. This video makes the case.
Theory 2: A massive expansion of the Sun’s magnetic field.
In essence the theory states that large tensions build up in the Sun due to the fact that the surface of the Sun at its Equator moves around the Sun faster than the surface in the Polar Regions. This causes a twisting/winding of the magnetic forces. After many solar cycles (1 cycle= 11 years) the theory postulates that the tensions reach a point where they must unwind to relieve the pent up stresses. This is done by expanding outwards into the inner solar system - swamping the Earth’s magnetic field. This article is an excellent description.
NB Cliff High also has an excellent project called the ALTA project from the same site.
I am undecided at this time on what, if any, this conjecture may lead to. My primary reasoning is that I am a firm believer that the Electric Universe points to a more factual model of the Universe. The above 2 theories are based on the classic Newtonian Motion and Nuclear Sun models of the solar system.
The majority of star systems contain 2 or more stars in orbit around each other. Our Sun is currently believed to be a solitary star system - seemingly Jupiter didn’t make the grade by evolving in a companion star! The truth may lie in a mixture of the 2 theories. Mainstream astronomers believe that the solar system is, for all intends and purposes, static. I disagree.
There are numerous references in the records of ancient civilisations (Mayan, Chinese and Egyptian) to periodic episodes of civilisation shattering levels of upheaval. A polar shift would certainly fit the scenario. Planet wide movement of the Earth’s crust would lead to massive earthquakes, tsunamis and atmospheric upheaval.
I would like to recommend this video from some of the serious thinkers in the Electric Universe camp. It gives an excellent echo of a time when the solar system was NOT static. For anyone interested in a rational discussion of the 2012 phenomenon I would recommend starting here.