2012 Fact #3: Galactic Alignment
This particular meme is worthy of a lengthy discussion, for it underlies much of the misinformation surrounding the 2012 phenomenon.
The idea of a galactic alignment was popularized by John Major Jenkins, in books such as Maya Cosmogenesis 2012. The writings of Jenkins are very scholarly, yet have been ignored by most orthodox Mayan experts, possibly because he does not have the appropriate tertiary education. Also, while his arguments are convincing, studies of the ancient Maya involve a lot of interpretation, and opinions on meanings can vary widely.
The ‘Galactic Alignment’ is an astronomical phenomenon that refers to an alignment between the December solstice Sun with the equator of our galaxy, the Milky Way – from a viewpoint on Earth. This alignment occurs as a result of the precession of the equinoxes. Precession is caused by the earth wobbling very slowly on its axis and shifts the position of the equinoxes and solstices one degree every 71.5 years. Because the sun is one-half of a degree wide, it will take the December solstice Sun 36 years to “precess” through the Galactic equator.
The Galactic Equator is a virtual line that describes 0 degrees longitude and 0 degrees latitude, and acts as a divisionary line between the northern and southern hemispheres of the Milky Way galaxy.
The precise alignment of the solstice point with the Galactic equator was calculated to occur in 1998 (Jean Meeus, Mathematical Astronomy Morsels, 1997 – mentioned by Jenkins at http://alignment2012.com/whatisGA.htm ). This date was further refined by Sergey Smelyakov to May 7, 1998 (http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/TIMEWAVEZERO2012/message/15675). Therefore, if the significance of 2012 is related to a precise intersection with the Galactic Equator, whatever that significance would have meant has already occurred.
No valid scientific theories have been put forth regarding how this alignment could affect us on Earth. The galactic centre is so far away that any gravitational pull it might have on our planet is insignificant. The other planets in our solar system exert a much stronger pull, and yet when they are in an alignment, their effect is less than a jumbo jet flying overhead – and has zero affect on us.
Consequently most alignment theories are either New Age or deliberately vague. This is not to dismiss any New Age angles, because astrology is all about alignments that have no scientific meaning, and astrology has many believers.
The closest I have come across to a believable scenario is that energy from the galactic centre is enhanced when it passes through the Sun, and it is only during the alignment that this energy strikes Earth in an enhanced form. Although the alignment was at its truest in 1998, the theory argues that it is the cumulative effect that will be telling. The theory still lacks measurement or a valid scientific explanation.
There is some concern that Jenkins was deliberately misleading when describing an alignment with the galactic centre in 2012. Not only was the correct year 1998, but the alignment was with the galactic equator, not the centre. A true alignment between us, the Sun and the galactic centre never occurs, and the closest we get to such an alignment will be in 2220AD (according to Jenkins).
In Maya Cosmogenesis 2012 Jenkins consigns these facts to an appendix, and in later works refers to the alignment occurring in the era of 2012. Perhaps due to perpetuating the myth of an alignment occurring exactly in 2012, Jenkins is a regular guest on sensationalist TV documentaries and appears at many 2012 conferences.
Consequently many 2012 authors have legitimized their own 2012 theories, and the advanced knowledge of the ancient Maya via this proof that they not only knew where the galactic centre lies (something modern man has only recently determined), but that the “alignment” would occur precisely at the end of the Long Count calendar.
It remains to be proven whether the Mayans knew of the galactic centre/equator and 2012 was an extremely good attempt at pinpointing the alignment, or if it is just an extraordinary coincidence.
This is an excerpt from my ebook 2012: Myths and Facts
