Was the Star of Bethlehem a Planetary Conjunction?
Was the Star of Bethlehem a Planetary Conjunction?
The final theory about the Star of Bethlehem is one or more of the 5 dazzling naked eye planets — Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, or Saturn Another Star of Bethlehem prospect is Uranus, which traveled in the close vicinity to Saturn in 9 BC and Venus in 6 BC. This is farfetched because Uranus orbits very slowly and is only barely visible. In truth, the possibility that the Magi could have confounded one or more of the familiar planets with a star actually seems remote.
Occasionally, two or more of these mobile wanderers come together in a dramatic conjunction. Possiblly a planetary grouping of primary beauty; an exceptionally close conjunction of two planets or groupings of three or more creating an eye-catching nonrepresentational figure in the sky may have taken place between the years 7 and 2 BC. A getting together like that would be quite different to the unexpecting eye.
One such event that is often cited occurred on the evening of Feb. 25, 6 BC involving Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, and happened in the constellation of Pisces, the Fishes. If you have ever visited a planetarium for the traditional Christmas show, you probably already know the thrill of watching as the planetarium projector races back through time to recreate this unusual event. One such result that is often referred took on the evening of Feb. 25, 6 BC affecting Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, and bechanced in the constellation of Pisces, the Fishes. If you have ever visited a planetarium for the sanctioned Christmas show, you in all probability already love the thrill of watching as the know the thrill of tracing as the planetarium projector races back through time to replay this unusual event. Another realizable explanation for the Star of Bethlehem is the three-times conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn between May and December in 7 BC; a exceptional triple or “great conjunction.” Jupiter appeared to progress one degree north of Saturn on May 29; much the identical on Sept. 30; then finally a third time on Dec. 5. There is no uncertainty about the visibleness of these outcomes, mostly opposite to the Sun in dark skies. As for their astrological affect, the Magi would have certainly noticed that both planets did not appear to separate widely between their conjunctions.
