NASA explains why the world didn't end on September 23

People have predicted the end of the world since ancient days, and this past September 23 was no exception. The Internet was alight with a doomsday prediction that billed this past Saturday as a fateful day, one that would result in the fabled planet Nibiru colliding with Earth and killing everyone. Forums were filled with people reporting feeling 'vibes' about the event; psychics said it would happen. But, as expected, the day passed without event.

The lack of destruction wasn't a surprise for most people, and that includes NASA researchers. The space agency was prepared for such a non-event, just as it was when the December 2012 prediction came and went uneventful. At the time, it posted the video below, which is a good thing to revisit if you find end-of-world hype ever getting you down.

Whereas the 2012 prediction revolved around alleged Mayan prophecies about the end of the world, this most recent prediction dealt with the supposed Planet X, also called Nibiru. This planet doesn't exist according to every space agency in the world, but that hasn't stopped many conspiracy-minded folks from believing it is out there, that it is approaching, and that the government is keeping it a secret for some reason.

NASA addressed the Nibiru myth four years ago, and it is again pointing visitors to that explain, saying, "the story of Nibiru has been around for years (as has the "days of darkness" tale) and is periodically recycled into new apocalyptic fables." In its Q&A for doomsday-ers, NASA explains:

Q: Is there a planet or brown dwarf called Nibiru or Planet X or Eris that is approaching the Earth and threatening our planet with widespread destruction?

A: Nibiru and other stories about wayward planets are an Internet hoax. There is no factual basis for these claims. If Nibiru or Planet X were real and headed for an encounter with the Earth in 2012, astronomers would have been tracking it for at least the past decade, and it would be visible by now to the naked eye. Obviously, it does not exist. Eris is real, but it is a dwarf planet similar to Pluto that will remain in the outer solar system; the closest it can come to Earth is about 4 billion miles.

SOURCE: NASA