Do the stars indicate the end or transformation of the world in 2012?
There is speculation on the web and throughout popular culture that the year 2012 will be of special significance. This is based primarily upon the Mesoamerican Long Count Calendar, which is interpreted to terminate in December of 2012. Several other lines of speculation and fanciful argument also converge on 2012. From an astronomical perspective, on December 21, 2012 the Winter Solstice will occur where the path of the Sun (the Ecliptic) crosses the equator of the Milky Way (the Galatic Equator). Of course, the paths of the Ecliptic and Galactic Equator always cross, and the Winter Solstice often occurs near that crossing. It is difficult to see much objective significance in this, but it does fuel the imagination of many.
