Titanic’s fate sealed by ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ coincidence in space

THE fate of the Titanic may have been written in the heavens due to an astonishing set of celestial coincidences, according to a new theory.

A rare conjunction of the Moon and Sun caused icebergs to be swept into the path of the doomed ocean liner, scientists believe.

An investigation by US researchers at Texas State University, suggests a “once-in-many-lifetimes” event brought together the Moon’s closest approach to the Earth for 1,400 years, a near encounter between the Earth and the Sun, and a spring tide.

All these factors contributed to abnormally high sea levels, which helped dislodge grounded icebergs and send them into the shipping lanes of the North Atlantic, it is claimed.

“It was the closest approach of the Moon to the Earth in more than 1,400 years and this configuration maximised the Moon’s tide-raising forces on Earth’s oceans,” said lead researcher Dr Donald Olson. The scientists reported their findings in Sky & Telescope magazine.

The huge ship struck an iceberg 375 miles south of Newfoundland on 14 April, 1912. Within hours, it had sunk with the loss of 1,500 lives.