Decoding the Star of Bethlehem
December 2019 :
A lot of planetariums still spend several weeks before the holiday season putting together their annual Star of Bethlehem (SOB) or Star of Wonder (SOW) show, trying their best to determine a natural rationale for what the Magi were said led them to the creche. Of course, many astronomical phenomena have been canceled out, either as too rapid, such as a meteor, something that could have been seen and reported more than just by these travelers, a comet for instance, but that, had it been visible, would have not moved as a “guiding light,” plus it would most likely have been documented by others, or a supernova, which likewise would not have moved around the sky to be used as a pointer. The most ideal situation, according to modern lore, is a conjunction of planets, a couple of which have been documented to occur around the time of the Birth. The two major candidates are a triple conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, with Mars joining the pair at the last, around 8-6 B.C., or one involving Jupiter and the star Regulus, the heart of Leo, the Lion, which, at the last, included the addition of Venus, making for a striking arrangement, about 2-1 B.C.
Planets have been often considered the natural occurrence of choice, if indeed it did happen, for several reasons, including the fact that the Magi were, according to legend, astrologers, who carefully observed the sky, and the conclusion, even to this day, that the general population really doesn’t notice typical celestial phenomena, as noted by a former astronomy professor, who received a call one morning, stating she had seen a UFO the night before, and wanted him to identify it for her. As it was in the western sky, and Venus was very prominent, he informed her as such. The next morning, she called again, swearing the object was still there. Again, he told her it was Venus. The next morning, she called again. This time, he asked her, “Where is it with respect to the planet Venus?” She never called again.
All of us at Skyscrapers hope you are enjoying the beauty of the sky, and that your holiday season is the best ever.
