Galactic Alignment

The galactic alignment can refer to several different astronomical and astrological phenomena.

One common galactic alignment refers to an alignment between the December solstice sun with the equator of our galaxy, the Milky Way. The galactic equator is a reference line that describes 0 degrees longitude and 0 degrees latitude, and acts as a divisional line between the northern and southern hemispheres of the observed Milky Way. The 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 precise alignment of the solstice point (the precise center-point of the body of the sun as viewed from earth) with the galactic equator was calculated to occur in 1998 [cite book|last=Meeus|first=Jean|title=Mathematical Astronomy Morsels|year=1997|publisher=Willmann-Bell|authorlink=Jean Meeus|series=Mathematical Astronomy Morsels|isbn=0-943396-51-4] .According to the astrologer Raymond Mardyks, the galactic alignment was composed of the thirteen equinoxes and solstices, from September 1998 through September 2001. [cite web|url=http://www.fieldwerks.com/galactic_alignment.htm|title=Galactic Alignment|accessdate=2008-09-14|publisher=Raymond Mardyks]

In popular culture

* The galactic alignment is sometimes associated with the end of the ancient Maya calendar in 2012. However, this alignment already happened and is not related to the known Maya astronomy. Based on this misconception, many apocalypse scenarios are constructed, most notably the version advocated by ZetaTalk.

References

External links

* [http://www.alignment2012.com/whatisGA.htm What is the galactic alignment by John Major Jenkins]
* [http://www.gaiamind.org/Dec1999.html The Galactic Alignment on December 22, 1999]