We show you where the Christmas star appears

There is a rare and “mystical” celestial phenomenon that develops in the early hours of the night, or perhaps more accurately, in the evening sky: on December 21, we can observe the close coexistence of the two largest planets in the System Solar, Jupiter and Saturn. However, obedient to the laws of physics, Jupiter overlooks its ringed neighbor roughly every 20 years, but to observe this around Christmas, it was last reported in the 18th century. It was at the end of the 20th century, and the next time it will be possible in 2080.

From this fact also arises the mystique of the phenomenon, since we can probably interpret the star of Bethlehem as the coexistence of these two heavenly bodies, which, according to Scripture, foreshadowed the birth of Jesus.

And if the sky is clear, we can celebrate again under the star of Bethlehem this year.

What does coexistence mean? When and where do we look for the “Christmas” star? Dr. László Kiss, We interviewed the astronomer and academic winner of the Széchenyi Prize, the general director of the Center for Research in Astronomy and Earth Sciences and the scientific consultant of the Svábhegy Observatory.

There will be one whose two stars merge

Jupiter orbits closer to the Sun than Saturn, so it orbits our star in less time than its outer neighbor. As a result, it eludes the ring giant from time to time, measured in Earth time roughly every 20 years. But it is not always visible from Earth, nor is it legal for it to occur in the last third of December, nor do they always appear so close together. Therefore, the “Christmas star” appears very rarely, even if the possibility exists every two decades.

These days we can witness Jupiter catch up with Saturn and then slowly go away. And we call coexistence when they seem to be closer, this “great approximation” occurs in our case on December 21.

In practice, of course, they continue to travel many hundreds of millions of kilometers apart, the whole being a geometric combination that can only be felt from Earth. The surfaces of the two planets reflect part of the sunlight, so they shine like stars in the dark sky, but it is important to note that they do not even merge to view, they will be separated by 6 arcs at the “peak”: the disk of the full moon is 30 arcs wide, making it a fifth distance between planets.

In practice, this means that if someone has good eyesight, they can distinguish the two objects with the naked eye, while the nearsighted will see a single large “star” without glasses.

– László Kiss tells 24.hu.

Put a plow on your outstretched arm

The basic question for the layman, of course, is how are the giant planets found? Research Professor Eötvös Loránd Research Network (ELKH) begins with the answer that only a completely clear sky is suitable for perception. If the conditions were still right, we would have to watch the sunset – on Monday it will be at 3:56 p.m. on the 19th meridian, which also affects Budapest – and with that we roll in a south-western direction. Wherever the Sun has gone, the two planets will appear around 17-17:15, 10 degrees above the horizon.

If, standing in one direction, we extend one arm in front of us and measure one arm on it with the other, we have the “cross of destiny” necessary to capture the planets.

László Kiss adds that the brightest celestial body will be Jupiter, next to it Saturn will be a little weaker, they cannot be confused with anything else. In Budapest, the most suitable place for observation is the Pest bank of the Danube, mainly the bridgehead of the Margaret Bridge, and 500-500 meters in both directions. By the way, the staff of the Svábhegy Observatory will give a live online conference on cooperation one day before the closest approach, on Sunday evening at 8pm.

Unfortunately, Monday promises to be cloudy, according to the current position, the sky may be clearer in the southwestern part of the country. But if the weather is not likely to be pleasant now, the reunion will continue to be spectacular until New Year’s Eve.

Not a comet or a supernova

Since we can speak of modern science, many disciplines have been searching the Bible for an exact explanation of the sites, events, and phenomena it contains. The question of whether the “star of Bethlehem” announcing the birth of Jesus can be related to an actual astronomical event is of particular importance.

The date of the birth of the Savior is given in VI. calculated by a Roman abbot in the 19th century, today comparing evangelical texts and known historical facts before Christ. They put it between 8 and 4. So here we have to look for the star. A logical explanation may be the appearance of a comet, but contemporaries have valued it as an ominous omen and, on the other hand, it is not mentioned in any astronomical record.

There could be a supernova explosion that could actually have acted as the appearance of a new star, but that is also not likely. On the one hand, there is no trace of this even in the works of Chinese contemporaries who record everything, and on the other hand, there could have been no surprising phenomenon if Herod He was the first to know about the three kings. And the light from the most distant supernovae is so dim that it would be difficult to interpret them as a celestial sign.

With Jupiter and Saturn, heaven is message

The most likely explanation to date Johannes kepler provided by. At the turn of 1603-1604, the German astronomer studied a similar approach to Jupiter and Saturn (Mars joined them at the time) when he noticed a supernova explosion. He did not know the reason for the latter, he believed that the triple coexistence could have triggered the birth of a new star – from which the star of Bethlehem would not jump, especially in the seventeenth century. at the beginning of the century?

Kepler began counting and discovered that the coexistence of Jupiter and Saturn, which he also observed, c. It also occurred at 7 in the constellation Pisces. So, following Kepler’s line of thought, the supernova also had to emerge, so the star of Bethlehem was a real astronomical phenomenon. Modern astronomy also confirms AD. 7, but how this can be interpreted as a celestial sign even without a supernova requires astrology. Very simple:

Because Saturn is the planet of the Jews, Jupiter is the real planet, while the constellation Pisces is a symbol of birth, but it also symbolizes Palestine.

The three kings, the wise men of the East, were certainly also versed in the science of astronomy. They easily interpreted the heavenly sign, which the lay crowd, including King Herod, apparently did not even notice.