Just in time for the holidays, you could possibly spot the “Christmas star” this weekend.
If you grew up—or are currently—Christian, you’ve likely heard the story of the star that guided the “wise men” to baby Jesus on the night of Christmas. Also referred to as the Star of Bethlehem, this celestial event was outlined in the Bible:
“After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was.”
According to Henry Throop, a NASA planetary scientist, this star was said to have risen in the east, guiding travelers to the south.
“We know that’s consistent with basically how the motions of the sky work, where things rise in the east, and they go overhead and they sit in the west,” he told ABC News.
The story of the Christmas star is technically backed by science—but it’s unlikely the celestial object was really a “star.” Rather, according to astronomy.com, it was possibly a conjunction between Jupiter and Saturn or between Jupiter and Venus.
NASA defines a conjunction as “a celestial event in which two planets, a planet and the Moon, or a planet and a star appear close together in Earth’s night sky.”
This weekend, according to researchers, Jupiter will go into opposition on Saturday, meaning it will directly oppose the Sun in the sky and be at its closest point to Earth in its orbit.
“And so it appears the brightest in the sky, and it appears largest,” Throop said. This will give the illusion of what many might deem a “Christmas star.”
At the same time, Venus will be glowing as one of the brightest celestial objects, too. You won’t even need a special telescope or tool to view this festive event.
“Right now is a great time to go outside and look up at the night sky,” Throop told ABC News.
The post ‘Christmas Star’ Will Appear in the Night Sky This Weekend appeared first on VICE.
The post ‘Christmas Star’ Will Appear in the Night Sky This Weekend appeared first on VICE.
