Dec. 21 In LA: Griffith Observatory Invites Angelenos To Party Late On Mayan Doomsday

Because hysteria is more fun in groups, the Griffith Observatory is inviting Angelenos to hang out late on Friday, Dec. 21, when the Mayans predicted that the world would end.

The Observatory, which usually closes at 10 p.m., will stay open one minute after midnight on the 21st to disprove apocalyptic fears. The planetarium show, "Time's Up," will run all day. The short film "demonstrate[s] that claims regarding the Maya calendar, planetary alignments, rogue planets, galactic beams, and other related phenomena have no basis in fact," according to the Observatory's web site.

“While the ‘2012’ scenario is based on a profound misinterpretation of the Maya calendar, other groundless claims have also been attached to December 21,” the Observatory said in an emailed statement. "The Observatory, NASA, and others receive daily inquiries from anxious people asking if the 'predictions' of doom are correct."

The Observatory advises arriving early because access roads will be closed as soon as parking if full. Because even on the apocalypse, parking in LA is the pits.