2 "Stars of Bethlehem" lights the sky this week - how to see them

Despite their name, dazzling celestial objects are in fact very brilliant planets.


The night sky can present incredible sites at any time of the year, and winter is no exception. Those who are ready to brave the coldest temperatures can witness what many consider it " Best meteor shower of the year "While celestial movements can create others incredibly rare events . And this year, the holiday stargazers will obtain an additional special treat like two "Stars of Bethlehem" light up the night sky.

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Throughout history, astronomers and researchers immersed themselves in different celestial events This could have created the brilliant tag referenced in the Bible. Theories have varied from a rare explosion of supernova to the comet of Halley, passing, Forbes reports. But two glasses will be visible this year which could also be considered as suitors, which is not in fact stars.

The first is Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system which is a luminaire in the night sky throughout the year. But although it is often visible, the gas giant increases from brightness to the points of its orbit, becoming the most brilliant when opposed to the sun as seen from the earth, by Forbes . This holiday season will see Jupiter just after its luminous point which fell on November 2 and 3, but it always rises as a very bright object which is visible for most of the night.

Regarding historical observations, Jupiter also stands out due to periods on his orbit where he seems to remain motionless in the night sky. "At the time of the birth of Christ, one of these stationary points occurred when Jupiter was directly above Bethlehem for several nights, aligning with the biblical accounts", " Minjae Kim , PhD, researcher at the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom, said Forbes .

The other is Venus, our closest neighbor and the only celestial object briper than Jupiter in addition to the sun and the moon. The planet even won the nickname "Morning Star", rising in the hours before dawn before sunrise Forbes .

Although these planets are burning brilliantly, there is another major event that creates an even larger night show and is often considered a potential candidate as "the star of Bethlehem". A rare event known as " Great conjunction "Performs when Saturn and Jupiter intersect at less than 0.1 degrees from each other in the sky to their points furthest from the sun, creating an amplified effect which makes them brighter, reported astronomy.com.

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The land was treated to this miraculous vision for the first time in almost eight centuries on December 21, 2020, which allows the two gas giants to see a single telescope lens. But those who hope to see it again will have to wait a while: the next occurrence of this rare astronomical event will only occur in 2080.

If you are looking to see Jupiter or Venus while celebrating, experts say that one or the other will not be difficult to find. Those who get up early Christmas Day could have a glimpse of Venus before daylight escapes from the planet, while Jupiter can be spotted at any time after twilight.

"Around 9 pm, Jupiter will be high in the southern sky, offering a magnificent view until it takes place to the west around 3:30 am," said Kim Forbes .

And this is not the only event to happen. The directory Ursid meteor shower Will also pelge on the night of December 22 and will be addressed in the middle of next week, reports Live Science. Although it is generally not as impressive as the geminid meteor shower which precedes it in a few days, viewers can expect to see five to 10 "shooting stars" per hour at its most active.

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Categories: Smarter Living
Tags: Christmas / News / Science
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