Helen Harvey writes in the Taranaki Daily News about the slew of 2012 end-time theories currently circulating, why people might be susceptible to them, and what the experts think.

In particular, astronomer Rodney Austin says that “Planet X” (Nibiru) would have been detected by now if it was heading our way, and that Earth’s poles and axes aren’t set to do anything unusual at the end of next year, either.

An excerpt: (read in full here)

“”As for predictions of a dangerous planetary alignment, he doesn’t buy into that either.

“December 21, 2012, will be the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and the summer solstice down here.

””It just simply means the sun is at its farthest south in the sky.”

“The Earth’s axis is tilted by 23.5 degrees and as it goes round the sun Earth stays pointing towards the same the direction.
So, consequently, in mid-winter  New Zealand  or about three weeks from now, the Northern Hemisphere is tilted towards the sun. In December, the southern hemisphere is tilted towards the sun.  There will be no difference in 2012.
The Earth does wobble like a top, but it takes 26,000 years to do it, Mr Austin says.”