# The End, Planet X and 2012? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 22, 2008, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-planet-x-and-2012/464738 "2008-09-22T20:32:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![SiXSwordS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@SiXSwordS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiXSwordS)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-planet-x-and-2012/464738/41 "2008-09-23T15:11:54Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Well, you’ve convinced _me_. > > Regards, > Shodan Oh, that may be a problem as your cogent argument has swayed me to your side! ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-planet-x-and-2012/464738/42 "2008-09-23T15:31:56Z")
> [@MEBuckner](#): > > Uh-oh. [“Large Hadron Collider down for 2 months”](http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/09/20/hadron.collider.damage.ap/index.html). > > _Will the intrepid and only slightly mad scientists at CERN get the LHC back on line in time to blast Planet X into a singularity before it gets close enough for tidal effects to wreck Planet Earth and/or close enough to be spotted by the naked eye, triggering MASS PANIC and the End of Civilization?!? Tune in tomorrow!!!_ Bah…the LHC is just a feel good project to make us think we can stop Planet-X. Unfortunately if we shoot a black hole at Planet-X and suck it into a singularity we will just be left with a black hole with the same mass and gravitational effect as Planet-X hurtling at us. Not really an improvement in my view. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-planet-x-and-2012/464738/43 "2008-09-23T15:42:32Z")
> [@SiXSwordS](#): > > Oh, that may be a problem as your cogent argument has swayed me to your side! No it hasn’t. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-planet-x-and-2012/464738/44 "2008-09-23T16:20:02Z")
> [@Kythereia](#): > > [Here you go](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1145/whatever-happened-to-planet-x)! It’s why I was so confused on reading the title (“wait, didn’t Planet X turn out to be Pluto or something? I know they must be pissed at being downgraded to a dwarf planet, but come on…”) From your link: > [@](#): > > More Planet X predictions surfaced periodically. The one you remember was made in 1972 by an astronomer who shall remain nameless, who predicted \ Why is the astronomer nameless? Should I dig my tinfoil hat out of the closet? ---
**Author:** ![SiXSwordS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@SiXSwordS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiXSwordS)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-planet-x-and-2012/464738/45 "2008-09-23T16:22:12Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > No it hasn’t. > > Regards, > Shodan I’m sorry, but I’m not allowed to argue any more. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-planet-x-and-2012/464738/46 "2008-09-23T16:22:55Z")
The astronomer, IIRC, was Joseph Brady. -XT ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-planet-x-and-2012/464738/47 "2008-09-23T16:44:26Z")
Wait, I thought that Planet X contained a large supply of illidium phosdex. Shouldn’t we be sending people to stock up? ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-planet-x-and-2012/464738/48 "2008-09-23T17:12:19Z")
> [@SiXSwordS](#): > > I’m sorry, but I’m not allowed to argue any more. I WIN!!! Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-planet-x-and-2012/464738/49 "2008-09-23T17:48:31Z")
> [@xtisme](#): > > The astronomer, IIRC, was Joseph Brady. > > -XT Hmm. He appears to be unknown to wiki… thanks though. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![SiXSwordS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@SiXSwordS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiXSwordS)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-planet-x-and-2012/464738/50 "2008-09-23T17:57:35Z")
> [@mlees](#): > > Hmm. He appears to be unknown to wiki… thanks though. 🙂 [Not True](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenth_planet) Not sure how to link to the chapter, but a search on Brady finds him. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-planet-x-and-2012/464738/51 "2008-09-23T18:02:26Z")
> [@SiXSwordS](#): > > [Not True](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenth_planet) > > Not sure how to link to the chapter, but a search on Brady finds him. Ok, thanks! But… ummm… I was wondering why Cecil’s Straightdope article was reluctant to name him by name. I was hoping a wiki article might clarify (say, if the guy was a regualr quack). Any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-planet-x-and-2012/464738/52 "2008-09-23T18:11:19Z")
C’mon guys. It is a leitimate question from a new poster. Even if Cecil’s Teeming Millions have come to the “correct” conclusions, that does not mean that the answers are widely known. I’ve got to run, (and will take a shot at the answer if it has not been answered by this evenng), but we ought to at least go through the motions of answering the questions. ---
**Author:** ![SiXSwordS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@SiXSwordS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiXSwordS)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-planet-x-and-2012/464738/53 "2008-09-23T18:47:07Z")
> [@mlees](#): > > I was wondering why Cecil’s Straightdope article was reluctant to name him by name. I was hoping a wiki article might clarify (say, if the guy was a regualr quack). I can’t find anything to indicate he was a quack. He seems to have been working with Livermore in the late fifties using early [supercomputers](https://www.llnl.gov/str/March02/March50th.html). (Again, search for Brady.) A google search of the name Joseph Brady +Planet X comes up with lots of hits. Either Cece didn’t know the name or didn’t think the name was important to the article. The SD article is from '96, so there may have been some change between now and then — i.e. the name became common knowledge. On a related note, it could be that Planet X means something different in [Hebrew…](http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/jun/07062505.html) ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-planet-x-and-2012/464738/54 "2008-09-23T19:07:26Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > C’mon guys. It is a leitimate question from a new poster. Even if Cecil’s Teeming Millions have come to the “correct” conclusions, that does not mean that the answers are widely known. > > I’ve got to run, (and will take a shot at the answer if it has not been answered by this evenng), but we ought to at least go through the motions of answering the questions. We did answer it in a straightforward fashion. See my and **xtisme’s** posts early on in the thread. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-planet-x-and-2012/464738/55 "2008-09-23T19:23:39Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > C’mon guys. It is a leitimate question from a new poster. Even if Cecil’s Teeming Millions have come to the “correct” conclusions, that does not mean that the answers are widely known. > > I’ve got to run, (and will take a shot at the answer if it has not been answered by this evenng), but we ought to at least go through the motions of answering the questions. OK. 1. [There is no evidence for Planet X.](http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/misc/planetx/) 2. The [Mayan Calendar](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayan_calendar) was pretty good for it’s time. But it’s a Calendar, not a forecasting device. 3. The End of the World has been forecast many times. So has [perpetual motion](http://www.steorn.com/), Nigerian millions into your bank\* and the [collapse of computers in 2000](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Y2K). :rolleyes::smack: \*If you want to earn millions of dollars tax-free overnight, just send me your bank details. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-planet-x-and-2012/464738/56 "2008-09-23T23:16:40Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > Wait, I thought that Planet X contained a large supply of illidium phosdex. The Shaving Cream Atom? ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-planet-x-and-2012/464738/57 "2008-09-23T23:29:48Z")
Serious question. How difficult would this kind of information be to suppress? It would seem the most obvious course of action if government officials had such knowledge. After all, what could possibly be gained by informing the public? All it would seem to achieve, is to open the gates to madness. If they aren’t already open. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-planet-x-and-2012/464738/58 "2008-09-23T23:34:51Z")
> [@ivan\_astikov](#): > > Serious question. How difficult would this kind of information be to suppress? It would seem the most obvious course of action if government officials had such knowledge. After all, what could possibly be gained by informing the public? All it would seem to achieve, is to open the gates to madness. If they aren’t already open. Depends on the size of Planet X. A comet? Easy to hide. Something like a small gas giant? (See **SixSwords** last link.) Not bloody likely… ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-planet-x-and-2012/464738/59 "2008-09-23T23:37:12Z")
> [@ivan\_astikov](#): > > Serious question. How difficult would this kind of information be to suppress? It would seem the most obvious course of action if government officials had such knowledge. After all, what could possibly be gained by informing the public? All it would seem to achieve, is to open the gates to madness. If they aren’t already open. Note that many countries have observatories and astronomers. Imagine the amazing coalition that needs to form to keep it quiet. As to what could be gained by informing the public - that public could then elect officials who would actually do something, rather than suppress the news. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-planet-x-and-2012/464738/60 "2008-09-23T23:37:26Z")
> [@ivan\_astikov](#): > > Serious question. How difficult would this kind of information be to suppress? Impossible. There’s too many astronomers in too many countries; too many amateur astronomers who’d surely notice something as big and bright as an incoming planet. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-planet-x-and-2012/464738.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-planet-x-and-2012/464738.md?page=4)