Some scientists have suggested that an unusually close approach to the Earth by the Moon in January of 1912 may have produced icebergs that were able to travel much further south than usual, which in turn caused the sinking of the Titanic in April. On January 4, 1912, the moon and sun lined up in such a way that their gravitational pulls enhanced each other. As well, the moon's closest approach to Earth that January was the closest in 1,400 years, and the point of closest approach occurred within six minutes of the full moon. As well, the Earth's closest approach to the sun in a year had occurred just the previous day.