Christmas Star

[SysAd]

Here's hoping that we all have clear skies tomorrow to see the Christmas Star. Okay, it's an alignment between Jupiter and Saturn, but it is the first time in 800 years! It should be visible shortly after sunset.

[lyman]

it's been pretty visible early in the evening on the East Coast,
low and south/southwest,

[dryheat]

Well, actually there is a conjunction about every twenty years but this is the closest(1 degree). Sometimes the conjunction takes place in the daytime so it isn't seen at all. I've been watching this for a couple of months. I'm going out tonight and maybe tomorrow to a dark elevated spot. There are other candidates(Venus is shockingly bright at times) but this might have been the actual Christmas star.

[Art]

This conjunction has long been one of the candidates for "star of Bethlehem." It is cool that it happens this time of the year, even though Jesus was almost surely not born in winter. Shepherds did not watch their flocks in fields by night in winter; temperatures ranging from uncomfortably cool to downright cold. They usually kept them in enclosures which would sort of rule out the manger part too.