Will the world end on September 28? Blood Moon and asteroid impact 'are heralds of Apocalypse'
It's said to be the day of reckoning - but will the Blood Moon prophecy and an asteroid strike end the world as predicted?
Conspiracy theorists are predicting a cataclysmic event which will destroy civilisation - because of the looming blood moon and a prophesied meteor strike.
End-of-time cranks on various blogs and websites have come up with the period between September 22-28 as the likely time frame for the impending catastrophe.
On September 28th we will see the moon turn an incredible blood colour - and some think the end of days will arrive with it.
However, Gemma Lavender, features editor for All About Space magazine, urges calm.
She told the Liverpool Echo: “There are claims that, with the moon getting closer to Earth, that there is an increased risk of events such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions - this is false."
“With the moon being closer to us than usual, and provided you have a clear night, observers should take advantage of the moon’s stunning lunar seas along with its beautiful craters and mountains, which can be observed with binoculars or a telescope," she continued.
Many biblical theorists maintain the event will trigger the Rapture and the start of a seven-year-tribulation.
These theories, which are restricted to tiny minority of churches and groups, have been dismissed by scientists and are thought to be well wide of the mark.
Fortunately for us, almost all asteroids are destroyed due to the extreme atmospheric friction heating they receive, breaking up into harmless shards that burn up before hitting the ground.
NASA has made asteroid detection a high priority.
A spokesperson said: "NASA knows of no asteroid or comet currently on a collision course with Earth, so the probability of a major collision is quite small.
"In fact, as best as we can tell, no large object is likely to strike the Earth any time in the next several hundred years."
They are also developing strategies to help to identify asteroids that might pose a risk of hitting Earth and developing options for planetary defence.
Nevertheless, this hasn't put off the conspiracy theorists.
It has been the subject of much speculation with conspiracy theorists predicting the end of the world.
But as the carnage proposed by the Blood Moon Prophecy creeps closer - will the biblical interpretations actually come true or will it simply offer up spectacular scenes in the night sky?
According to some planet Earth will cease to exist as we know it in around three weeks.
The end of days is being predicted by a host of people, including Jewish mystics, Christian fundamentalists and self-proclaimed prophets.
The disaster theories created by Doomsday fanatics are offering up a variety of options for how the end of days will come.
So if you're worried about impending doom, check out this handy guide to tell you everything you need to know.
What is a Blood Moon?
Fans of the Twilight books are already familiar with this term, but alas it has nothing to do with blood sucking vampires.
In fact a Blood Moon is a rather spectacular sight caused by the reflection of sunlight on the Earth's atmosphere - which is red to the naked eye. The blood moon acquires a golden, copper, or even rusty-red color depending on where the sun is - and it's usually low in the sky or near the horizon.
What is the Blood Moon Prophecy?
The hypothesis was originally made famous by Christian ministers John Hagee and Mark Biltz who said the ongoing "tetrad" - four consecutive lunar eclipses which began in April 2014 with six full moons in between - is the indicator of the end of earth as described in the Bible in Acts 2:20 and Revelation 6:12.
The pair insist some sort of tragic event is set to hit earth and possibly wipe it out - but the reality is this is not the first time we've had such a phenomenon. "The last time there was a tetrad was back in the 1900s, and to my amazement, they also fell on the feasts of Passover and Tabernacles," explains Blitz. "When I noticed the years these phenomena occurred, my mind began reeling. The last two times there were four blood moons in a row, they happened, first, right after Israel became a nation in 1948, and then again when Israel retook Jerusalem in 1967.”
The "blood moon" theory is interpreted from the Book of Joel, which says: "the sun will turn into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes."
Why all the doom and gloom?
Well, it's complicated and it depends who you believe. Some say it signals a significant celestial event, others say it will trigger the second coming while more yet are predicting a catastrophic asteroid hit that will blow the planet to smitherines.
Rev Efrain Rodriguez is one self-proclaimed prophet who is so convinced he got a message from God - in fact, he was so sure of it, he wrote to NASA to warn them about his fears. He regularly updates readers of his Facebook page with stark warnings he says are from a deity - and for those who believe him - it's a pretty bleak outlook.
If what he's saying is true then it's time to say goodbye to loved ones as he claims an asteroid up to 2.5miles wide will strike Puerto Rico and will go on to wipe out the world as we know it.
Rodriguez's vision saw a massive asteroid "entering the airspace of the town of Arecibo in Puerto Rico, striking the sea between the island of Mona and Mayaguez and triggering a magnitude 12 earthquake."
If it has any basis in fact, this claim would undoubtedly cause a planet altering event - as the world's most powerful earthquake left 4,485 people dead and injured as well as 2 million homeless after it struck southern Chile in 1960. It was 9.5 on the Richter scale.
So when is this likely to happen?
While those behind the theory claim the so-called prophecies are set to strike a blow - but they can't pin point an exact date.
The outcome of the end of days could actually be anywhere from September 21 to 28 - with some eyeing a final date of around September 23 or 24.
For those who are simply interested in watching the spectacle of the last lunar tetrad – the fourth eclipse in this trend will take place on the night of September 27 into 28.
What are the scientists saying?
If you're not sure what to believe and think the prophecy could come true - you are in good company. However it might not be time to pack your survival kit just yet or call up Richard Branson to see if you can book a spot on his space craft either.
Such is the hysteria in America, NASA have taken the unusual step of issuing a statement to clarify matters.
Paul Chodas, from NASA's Near-Earth Object office, has thrown out the claims.
"There is no existing evidence that an asteroid or any other celestial object is on a trajectory that will impact Earth," he said. "In fact, not a single one of the known objects has any credible chance of hitting our planet over the next century. There is no scientific basis, not one shred of evidence, that an asteroid or any other celestial object will impact Earth on those dates."
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