At 2:20 a.m. on April 15, 1912, the RMS Titanic sank into the icy Atlantic Ocean, leaving just 710 survivors of 2,240 passengers. The ship now lies 12,415 feet below sea level, gradually disintegrating into the sea, and the last living survivor, Millvina Dean — who was nine weeks old when Titanic sank — passed away on May 31, 2009.

<i>Titanic</i> and iceberg

"Iceberg, right ahead!" British maritime artist Simon Fisher portrays the night of April 14, 1912, moments before Titanic struck an iceberg on its maiden voyage.

Donald W. Olson

But the memory of the ship lives on.

To honor the 100th anniversary of Titanic's sinking, we're making available our April 2012 article, "Did the Moon Sink the Titanic?" The article explores the special set of astronomical circumstances — a full Moon during the Moon's closest approach to Earth, during Earth's closest approach to the Sun — that may have sent the iceberg on its fateful journey to meet the Titanic.

We've also posted a special bonus gallery that includes drawings of the Titanic's sinking and photos of icebergs on their way to the historical shipping lane.

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