Claim: The image shows a ‘Christmas star’ captured by the Hubble Telescope
Jupiter and Saturn have made adjustments to the night sky this week, the two planets appeared closer to each other than in the Middle Ages, and many have dubbed it the “Christmas Star.”
Social media users have shared photos of the event online, and a viral image has been widely shared on Facebook to show the Christmas star captured by the Hubble Space Telescope.
“Star of Bethlehem taken by Hubble – wow !!” One user wrote in a post that has over 4,000 shares.
“Taken from the Hubble Telescope the next night,” another user wrote, accompanied by an imaginative photo of a large bright star surrounded by small stars.
One user shared a similar image text, “Christmas Star’s Hubble Telescope. Amazing doesn’t start to describe it.”
USA Today, reached out to users behind claims for comments.
Check the facts: NASA’s six-day darkness warning is a hoax
The image is a picture
A Google reverse search of the photo reveals that the image is a picture and was not captured by the Hubble Telescope.
The image, which is visible on Getty Images, is titled, “Glowing Star Stock Vector Space Background – Stock Vector.”
The caption of the image reads: “This stock vector image shows space with a slightly brighter star at the top. It is a combination of small distant stars with cross light refraction, including vibrant blues and whites. The use of reflection and tone reflects a sense of depth and depth in the image. Bleach out is a colorful tone. “
The same image can also be seen on the iStock photo, stating that the image was uploaded to the site on June 1, 2015, further showing that the image was not taken recently.
In the actual photo of the rare “Christmas Star” event, Jupiter and Saturn together with two points of light in the dark sky, with Saturn, which is far from Earth, obscured, USA Today reported.
Patrick Hartigan, an astronomer at Rice University, told the USA that “people have to work a little harder to witness the connection” and that the two planets “suddenly don’t look like bright Christmas stars.”
Check the facts: The viral photo of the Northern Lights is a NASA animation, no image of space
Our rating: Wrong
An image claiming to show a “Christmas star” taken by the Hubble Space Telescope is incorrect, based on our research. The image is an illustration of 2015 and is not like the actual photos from the recent close configuration of Jupiter and Saturn.
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This article originally appeared on USA Today: Check out the fact: Viral Christmas star Illustration is not a photo of Hubble
