The precession of the equinoxes and its relevance to 2012 and the End of the Mayan calendar is discussed.

Precession of the Equinoxes

The Earth we live on revolves around the sun and spins on its axis.. Of course we've heard this and we all “know” it's true. Yet, most of us do not understand this, rarely think about it and cannot imagine or visualize what is actually happening with our solar system. Understanding this is to understand why the phenomenon of 2012 is so important.

At different times in the Earth's orbit, the Sun appears to “change direction” in the sky. The summer and winter solstices are when the sun appears to change direction. The equinox points, the first days of Spring and Fall, are halfway points in between these places of directional shift. These are the points when the most direct rays of the sun fall on the equator.

The Diagram above describes the earth and its motion around the sun.

A. On the winter solstice the Earth begins its Northern course. On this day we see the Northern Hemisphere of the Earth tilted back from the Sun. The Sun’s most direct rays are felt in the Southern hemisphere that day. (the first day of Summer for them)

B. On the Spring equinox day, the celestial equator intersects with the ecliptic as the Sun moves North. The Sun’s rays fall equally everywhere on earth that day as the most direct point of contact of Sunlight to the Earth is at the equator.

C. On the summer solstice the Earth begins its Souther course. On this day we see the Southern Hemisphere of the Earth tilted away from the Sun. The Sun’s most direct rays are felt in the Northern Hemisphere that day. (the first day of Summer for them)

D. On the Fall equinox day, the celestial equator intersects with the ecliptic as the Sun moves South. The Sun’s rays fall equally everywhere on earth that day as the most direct point of contact of Sunlight to the Earth is at the equator.

Precession of the Equinoxes

The Earth also has a very slight wobble, like a top. The wobbling effect of the Earth changes our orientation to the backdrop of stars we see. Essentially, the stars appear to move one degree every 75 years based on its effect. See the illustration below.

Below Illustrations and text Courtesy of Rajeev Jahnji
permission granted for its use. 

The precession of the equinoxes and its relevance to 2012 and the End of the Mayan calendar is discussed.