12:34:56 on 7/8/9; It's the once in a century mathematics phenomenon.

Byline: Craig McDonald

JUST after noon today, the world will see a once-in-acentury mathematical phenomenon.

Each number from one to nine will be lined up in correct order to show the exact time and date.

For one second, clocks will show the time as 12 hours, 34 minutes and 56 seconds on August 7, 2009 - or 12:34:56 on 7/8/9. The perfect order occurs for only one second in every hundred years - at the same time on August 7, in the tenth year of any century.

Next month sees another marvellous mathematical date. That will be the ninth day of the ninth month of the ninth year - or 9/9/9. And later on, we'll have the date 20/09,2009.

Chain emails from cranks are predicting the end of the world or the "birth" of Satan.

Sonia Ducie, a numerologist at the UK Connaisaance School of Numerology, said: "It's not the end of the world. Not as far as I know."

Just over 20 years ago, a similar time and date phenomenon occurred when 0 to 9 lined up in the early hours of July 6, 1989.

This once-in-a-century event happened at 01:23:45 on 6/7/89.

Just over six years ago, there was a one-second time frame which was 1/02/03 at 4.56am. And at one point last year, the time was 01:23:45 on 6/7/8. Some say the actual date today is 07/08/2009, meaning the true 07/08/09 was 2000 years ago.