After the EU referendum and the loss of a host of beloved celebrities, many people were happy to see the back of 2016. But if you thought the past 12 months were bad, they could pale in comparison to what 2017 has in store. Or so conspiracy theorists – who insist a mysterious planet in course to destroy the world – would have us believe. Author David Meade claims a dark star dubbed Planet X – also known as Niburu – is hurtling towards us and will smash into Earth in October, ending all life as we know it. He declares there is “overwhelming” evidence for his theory, citing volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, sinkholes, and storms. He even writes, “The Elite are frantically building underground ‘safety’ bunkers. Heatwaves are getting stronger and are lasting longer. I’m just waiting for the fat lady to sing!” One might expect astronomers to have spotted this impending catastrophe. But Meade says, “This system is, of course, not aligned with our solar system’s ecliptic, but is coming to us from an oblique angle and toward our South Pole. This makes observations difficult, unless you’re flying at a high altitude over South America with an excellent camera. As it intertwines and approaches it, will come from our south and loop all the way to the extreme north, then come back south again as it exits our orbital path.” He details his theory in his book Planet X – The 2017 Arrival. But – before you begin wishing your loved ones goodbye – Meade’s doomsday prophesy is not supported by scientists. NASA has previously said, “Nibiru and other stories about wayward planets are an internet hoax. Obviously, it does not exist.” And there have been many similar apocalyptic forecasts in the past, all of which have proven to be anti-climactic. Nibiru was even claimed to be on course to destroy Earth as recently as December 2015. That prediction came just two months after doomsday groups wrongly warned the world would be “obliterated by fire”.