Monday evening, December 21, Saturn and Jupiter will align into a beautiful bright star. This will be the first time they align like this since the Middle Ages. It will be 2080 before this astronomical sight will be seen again.
According to Forbes, the two planets will look like a “double planet” and provide an extraordinary amount of light.
“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 be to one another. 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,” Hartigan said in a statement.
The spectacular sighting will be viewable from anywhere on earth.
“The planets will appear low in the western sky for about an hour after sunset as viewed from the northern hemisphere, and though they’ll be closest on December 21, you can look each evening that week. Although the sight will be sinking towards the horizon, it will be bright enough to be viewed in at twilight. All you need is an unobstructed view to the southwest, and to look to the southwest from about 45 minutes after sunset where you are,” Forbes states.
It’s called a “great conjunction” because Jupiter and Saturn are the two largest planets in the Solar System. To catch it in the night sky, a regular telescope will help though its brilliance should be seen with the naked eye.
You’ll have to take a look as quickly as you can because this “great conjunction” won’t take long to sink below the horizon. In fact, you’ll be wise to look 45 minutes after sunset where you are on December 21, 2020 to see the planet pairing as high as possible in the southwestern sky.
Christmas 2020 – coming just when we need it the most
The story of the Star of Bethlehem
The Story of the Star of Bethlehem that led the Wise Men to the place of Jesus’s birth is told in the King James Bible, 2:8-14. Alignments of planets like the one anticipated for December 21 are called “conjunctions.” While planets align and can be seen, some of them are impossibly rare or only come around once in hundreds of years. The last time Saturn and Jupiter aligned in this manner were on March 4, 1226, according to astronomer Patrick Hartigan at Rice University.Astronomers speculate that the Star of David written of in Matthew 2 was an exceptionally rare triple conjunction between Saturn, Jupiter, and Venus.##### 2 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,
6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
A sign of brightness necessary this holiday season
Following a year of pandemic uncertainty, anger, and violence in the streets of America, political unrest, and an election that is fraught with election fraud, we need a bright star to lead America away from lawless Communism at our door and back to God.
Lead Image: Star of Bethlehem, 2015, Jupiter is part of Space Collection at https://wallpapersden.com/star-of-bethlehem-2015-jupiter-wallpaper/2560×1440/ No photographer identified.
