Science fiction books and movies over the years have forced many interesting questions. One of the most common -- "are we alone in the Universe?"

The second most popular question may be "could catastrophic events, capable of destroying all life on earth occur?" But, that's just fiction.

Isn't it?

There is a group of scientists and followers that believe this Planet X, or Nibiru, is in a space farther away than Pluto.

At first, many believed it to be just a large comet, but according to John Murray, a scientist at The Open University in Great Britain, who said in an interview with ABCnews.com that the farthest points of the mass in space appeared to fall in a circular, orbital path -- "which is exactly what you would expect if there was a planet out there."

What's surprising is just how far out there this supposed planet is. Both Murray and University of Louisiana physicists put the planet in an orbit about three trillion miles -- or half a light-year -- from the sun. The nearest star is four light-years away.

To put this distance in perspective, consider a miniaturized version of the solar system in which Earth was one-inch from the sun. On this scale, Pluto, the ninth planet, would be more than a yard from the sun. The new planet, by contrast, would be a half-mile distance.

Because it is so far from the Earth's location in space, we have nothing to worry about, right?

Maybe not.

Nibiru's orbit would pass close to Earth every 3,600 years -- with its next scheduled appearance being late May or early June 2003.

Before you start running around screaming how it's the end of the world, make your own decision on what you believe in. There are two sides of the story and scientists have been able to back up both.

So how can we know for sure? I guess the only thing to do is wait until that date.

The term "Nibiru" comes from the Sumerian cuneiform stone tablets and writings that are more than 6,000 years old. It can be translated into English as "The Planet of the crossing." The Hebrew version of the Bible, known as the Old Testament (which is a much older version than the English translation) has some stories derived from the stories of the Sumerian culture.

Also, the Mayan calendar predicts the end of our world, as we have known it to be in 2012. But the Mayan date of 2012 is actually the Gregorian date of 2003.

So, could this just be a fluke or just a really incredible coincidence?

Some believe there are three major events that could happen if Nibiru passes through our orbit this summer.

1. Earth could stop rotating completely for three days.
2. Electrical/magnetic storms may occur of an intensity that could cause lasting damage to our global infrastructure (both sound like a recent really bad movie, "The Core").
3. As Earth passes through the tail of Nibiru's passage, dust and debris may rain down on the planet compromising our ability to supply food and most importantly, water.

The Planet X is reported to be four times larger and 23 times denser than Earth. The Bible states (defining it as Wormwood in The Book of Revelations) that when it passed, its magnetic and gravitational effects upon Earth's molten iron core caused increased earthquakes/volcanic eruptions and other phenomena.

OK so, the planet is not going to ram into us, just pass us, so there are still no problems right?

When Planet X's orbit sends it in between Earth and our sun, Earth will align to its strong magnetism temporarily instead of the sun's. For a short while, Nibiru would be Earth's strongest magnetic voice or influence, which scientists will claim would be the reason for Earth's core to slow down or pause completely.

You can take all of this information as a grain of salt if you like. I'm not sure what, if any part of this I actually believe, but either way -- it does make for some interesting reading material.

If you want to learn more about this mysterious tenth planet, there are several Web sites on the Internet -- some factual and some highly unorthodox.

Believe what you want based on your beliefs and upbringings. Some see this as a hoax, while others see it as the end of the world.

Is it tabloid news or are scientists really on to something?

I guess we'll find out soon enough.