Mayan calendar December 21, 2012: NASA discusses Mayan end of world predictions

Earlier this month, NASA posted a list of frequently asked questions about why the world won’t end in 2012, like some believe the Mayans calendar indicates.

The post explained that Earth has been getting along fine for the last 4 billion years and there is no threat to our planet this year.

"The story started with claims that Nibiru, a supposed planet discovered by the Sumerians, is headed toward Earth. This catastrophe was initially predicted for May 2003, but when nothing happened the doomsday date was moved forward to December 2012 and linked to the end of one of the cycles in the ancient Mayan calendar at the winter solstice in 2012 -- hence the predicted doomsday date of Dec. 21, 2012," NASA said.

But just as your desk calendar ends on Dec. 31 and world keeps going on, the same goes for the Mayan calendar, NASA explained. Just before you run out of pages doesn’t mean life as we know it will cease to exist.

The science experts also dispel a few other online rumors associated with the end of 2012. The planets are not going to align, there is no predicted blackout for this December and the Earth’s rotation isn’t going to change directions.

"For any claims of disaster or dramatic changes in 2012, where is the science? Where is the evidence? There is none, and for all the fictional assertions, whether they are made in books, movies, documentaries or over the Internet, we cannot change that simple fact. There is no credible evidence for any of the assertions made in support of unusual events taking place in December 2012," NASA said.

Ready more from NASA on December 21, 2012.