The name "nibiru" comes from the ancient tribe of Sumerians and translates as "the planet of transition". Nnasa call him as a "planet x" and the ancient Greeks as "Nemesis."

The scoop: Conspiracy theorists are convinced a rogue planet will destroy the Earth in 2012, and just as we are about to see the release of a Hollywood movie on the topic, the hype is set to increase. David Morrison, a NASA astrobiologist and expert scientist for NASA's Ask an Astrobiologist website, calls for a reality check and in 2008 he contributed this article to Discovery News. Unbeknownst to most of us, a small but vocal group of conspiracy theorists is convinced that a rogue planet is about to enter the inner solar system and doom the Earth. They say that this threatening planet on a 3600-year orbit was discovered by the ancient Mesopotamians, who named it Nibiru, and it was known also to the Mayans, who associated it with the end of their calendar "long count" in December 2012.

In Web sites, blogs, and radio talk shows, they insist that NASA is tracking Nibiru - but that this information is being kept from the public as part of a worldwide conspiracy. They say the official silence can't be maintained for much longer, however, because by 2009 Nibiru will be visible to the naked eye from the southern hemisphere. They also say Earth's axis is already tilting and the length of the day is changing under its influence. As one believer recently wrote to me, "Why are you lying. It's coming, and everyone knows it." I began to receive questions about this bizarre story in December 2007 through NASA's "Ask an Astrobiologist" site. Normally I receive up to a dozen questions per week from the public, dealing mostly with life in the universe - but in the past 6 months the Nibiru traffic alone has grown to 20-25 messages a week, ranging from the anguished "I can 't sleep, "" I am really scared "or" I don't want to die "to the abusive" you are putting my family at risk "and" if NASA denies it then it must be true. "