A ‘Christmas Star’ Will Arrive on December 21: Jupiter and Saturn Will Align to Create a Phenomenon Not Seen Since the Middle Ages

The Stream ^ | December 8, 2020 | Nancy Flory

[Heartlander]

The first day of winter will bring a celestial delight. According to Rice University astronomer Patrick Hartigan, Jupiter and Saturn will appear closer than they’ve been since the Middle Ages. The effect will create a “Christmas Star,” or “Star of Bethlehem.” 2020 can sure use it.

Just after the sun sets on December 21, the winter solstice, the two planets will look like a double planet, or large star.

“Alignments between these two planets are rather rare, occurring once every 20 years or so, but this conjunction is exceptionally rare because of how close the planets will appear to one another,” said Hartigan, a professor of physics and astronomy. “You’d have to go all the way back to just before dawn on March 4, 1226, to see a closer alignment between these objects visible in the night sky.”

The planets have been inching closer to one another since the summer. They will be the closest from December 16-25, just in time for Christmas. 

“On the evening of closest approach on Dec 21 they will look like a double planet, separated by only 1/5th the diameter of the full moon. For most telescope viewers, each planet and several of their largest moons will be visible in the same field of view that evening,” said Hartigan.

Justin Mason, director of Old Dominion University’s Pretlow Planetarium said the event provides “a little bit of cosmic perspective.” Especially considering the possible “conjunction” or alignment of planets that astronomers believe led the wise men to baby Jesus in Bethlehem. Mason told The Virginian-Pilot that a rare conjunction of Jupiter, Venus and a star called Regulus took place around 2 B.C.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

We can call this the “Christmas Star” or “Star of Bethlehem” if we like. There was a conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in 7 BC, but that, like this conjunction was visible in the west at sunset, while Matthew’s star (The Star of Bethlehem only appears in the Book of Matthew) appeared in the East. Astronomical debate about the Star of Bethlehem has simmered for about two millennia, without any truly satisfactory astronomical explanation.

[DrGunsforHands]

There was a similar conjunction in the 1600s but it was difficult to see. So, there must be one about every 400 years, which would put one right around the birth of Christ.

[Mathews]

Great... just what we need to round off 2020. An astrological event that hasn’t been seen in 800 years. What could go wrong?

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

I now work graveyards shifts again. They have begun playing old Art Bell radio show episodes on a local a.m. station and calling it Art Bell, Somewhere in Time.

The other day they had a 1998 episode which talked about the conjuction of Jupiter and Saturn and its significance throughout history.

The fella talking to Bell, who’s name ai did not catch, mentioned that the year Christ was born was the only known/recorded time that this had occurred 4 times in one year.

I found that interesting.

I am hoping the skys clear up in my area starting around the 18th and going through the 23rd.

Apparent the 21st the conjuction will be so close (.06 of a degree) that the two planets will not be individually discernable with the naked eye.....an article I read said that .06 degrees is the equivalent of a toothpick at arms length.

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

Please see post 5

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Jupiter passes Saturn in orbit once every 19.859 years, give or take. The exact interval varies a bit depending on the location of the earth in its orbit, and other factors related to the shape of the planets’ orbits. The orbits of Jupiter and Saturn are not in the same plane, so Jupiter is usually a little north or south of Saturn when he passes him. If Jupiter overtakes Saturn near the point where their orbits appear to cross, they will appear closer together at nearest approach. In principle, Jupiter could occlude (hide, eclipse) Saturn, though the chances of that happening in any 10,000 year period are very small. But one day, ...

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Slightly more than 0.1 degree is more than 6 arcminutes. The resolution of the human eye is about 2 arcminutes. Because Jupiter is so much brighter than Saturn, they may be hard to resolve. Jupiter and Saturn at closest approach on December 21st will be about half the distance between the naked eye binary Alcor and Mizar in the handle of the Big Dipper. If you can easily resolve those two, you may be able to resolve Jupiter and Saturn.

Whatever you do, have fun!

[Shark24]

I know all the theories. My personal opinion is that it was a unique “unnatural” event. Anyhow...

[1Old Pro]

he Age of Aquarius

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

No disagreement. It's not so much science vs. faith. It's just that there is no astronomical explanation for the Star of Bethlehem. That does not mean that there's not a divine or theological explanation.

[9422WMR]

This is the dawning of the age of Aquarius, the age of Aquarius, Aquarius.

Ha haa! Stuck in your head too!

[Shark24]

As a Christian I’ve always thought that if Jesus could be resurrected, a simple light in the sky is easy. Just saying...

[OneVike]

Yes, it’s quite amazing the things GOD could do if He so desires. After all, true faith in HIM, says we know that NOTHING is impossible for the One who spoke all that exists into existing.

I am especially baffled by fellow Christians who agree that Christ was born of a virgin, then died on a cross, and actually was resurrected. Yet they cannot believe that GOD created the heavens and earth in 7 actual human days.

Faith with question marks is not faith.

[TonyM]

Actually God created the heavens and the earth in 6 days and rested from his work on the 7th day (Sabbath a.k.a. Saturday).

[mdmathis6]

I’ve always thought it comical that planetary conjunctions were used as an explanation for the “Christ” star. Especially long lived ones...considering that Herod had killed all the 2 year olds and under in the general vicinity of Bethlehem. Hence the “star” the Wisemen followed was in operation at least 2 years or so since they told Herod at what time “the star had appeared”!

[mdmathis6]

I’m told that the literal translation of “we saw his star in the east” was “we of the the east saw his star and have come to worship”. In other words they(the wisemen) were east of Israel and looking westward.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

That still has Jesus born in 7 BC.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Another point, the Grand Conjunction was a very predictable event, every 20 years, and astrologers and astronomers (same MOS back in the day) were perfectly aware of it. It wouldn’t have been seen as anything much out of the ordinary.

[mdmathis6]

Yup...!

....and certain wisemen attuned to the heavens and having access to records probably going back to Babylon would notice aberrations that most would miss. Say... a star or body that appears promptly at sunset in the western sky over Israel that does not move as the heavens move thru the night or with the seasonal constellations. It just sits there night after night and it might have looked rather ordinary at a distance and even the wisemen may not have noted it “at first”.

Yet over a period of days and weeks it still sat there and eventually somebody in that group of wise men took notice.... of an ordinary looking star that doesn’t move with the others thru the night nor did it move with the constellations. They would have looked at the records and checked the legends. The wise men’s star astronomically was the same as Moses’ burning bush, to which Moses “turned aside to see such a great sight”. The wise men knowledgeable of the religions and customs of the region around them decided that something extraordinary was going on. The fact that the Star appeared to rise further overhead as they traveled westward toward Israel would have further excited their hopes and dreams. Perhaps God whispered into their hearts...”come worship your Saving King....”

One Freeper argues that it was the top most star of the Southern Cross that was slowly(by means of the thousands of years of processional changes that constellations and stars slowly change their positions in our skies over time) moving out of view so that only the “top most” crowning star was visible to Israel at that time. He argues that this was what excited the wise men. My arguement was that the Wise men would have already known about the slow movement of the Southern Cross which would take the constellation out of view of Israel and the Mediterranean. The Wise Men knew about the stars already and would have figured the Southern Cross’s crowning star into their calculations. It would not have prompted them to take a hazardous journey for such a “ho hum event”. No...they saw something so extra-ordinary and if the fixed star truly stayed fixed as they traveled westward, it would have risen in apparent angular altitude the closer they traveled towards it until it was overhead where Jesus, Mary and Joseph was living. The Southern Cross crowning star(gamma crucis) would have always stayed distant and at the same relative position. It would also move as the Earth spun on it’s axis at night though never quite disappear.

I think the Christ star was no ordinary star. What it really was, we can only speculate. The Wise men would have known of the Moses’ prophecy of a ‘star that would arise out of Jacob(also called Israel)’. I believe they saw that star and worshipped Christ our King having followed that star to him. They knew the heavens and noted the passing of planets and comets. Yet what they saw arising in the western sky over Israel excited them to the point of travel and exploration. It was a star that did not move with the time of night nor with the seasons...yet as they travelled toward it it appeared more overhead as though “leading them” causing them to ‘rejoice” until at last they found Jesus!