Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share What Was the Christmas Star Over Bethlehem? Caring for Creation by Mary Christopher
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
What Was the Christmas Star Over Bethlehem? Caring for Creation by Mary Christopher
Some years ago when I was living in Lincoln, Nebraska, I worked at the University of Nebraska Planetarium. I loved working there. I did research, helped write programs, and did presentations. Our Christmas Star program was one of the most interesting, especially for grade school and middle school young people. And, their teachers loved it as well.
The 30 to 40 minute program focused on what could have been seen in the sky long enough to be spectacular. And, been there long enough for the Three Wise Men to follow it to Bethlehem? So, how could anyone figure that out … ? Astronomers have been working on this for centuries. Johannes Kepler and Isaac Newton discovered formulas describing how planets move. After Issac Newton figured out the “Laws of Motion”, tracking the placement of planets through the Heavens was much easier.
However, in the planetarium, we didn’t need to do any calculations. The projector that put all the planets and stars on the overhead dome could do that for us. All we had to do was “run the projector backward” to the general time frame of Jesus' birth. Then we would run the projector forward and watch as different planets aligned to create “bright conjunctions” in specific constellations. Astronomers could also compare these calculations with historical records of ancient observers in the Middle East and China. These comparisons helped confirm possible time frames for very bright planetary conjunctions.
Most current historians think Jesus was probably born sometime between about 7 BCE and 2 BCE (BCE is another way of saying BC). That is a window of a few years. During that time there was a conjunction of planets in the constellation we know as Pisces that could definitely qualify as a “bright star”. It would have been difficult for the people who wrote the gospels to explain “planetary conjunctions”.
There is general agreement that the “Three Wisemen” were Ancient Astronomers who kept meticulous records of the movements of the planets. They also would have studied the records of astromers who came before them. In other words, they knew how to track the movement of planets through the sky, even though these planets moved at different speeds. They could have known far enough in advance when to “pack up”, arrange for a caravan, load their camels, and head west. In those days, everyone traveled by caravan for protection. These were Wise Men, so they would have definitely been traveling with a group of people!
Within that particular ancient time frame, astronomers agree there was a specific ongoing conjunction of 3 planets in Pisces. The 3 planets that converged, over time, in Pisces were Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, and possibly Venus. They gathered in or near that constellation for longer periods because they are farther from the Sun, so their orbits are larger and take longer. Also, planets have retrograde motion that makes them look like they are going in reverse. This is only an apparent motion based on our perspective from Earth.
Jupiter is the largest planet in our Solar System and is usually very bright because it gives off more energy than it absorbs from the Sun! Saturn orbits outside the path of Jupiter, and can be followed easily without any assistance. This was especially true when there wasn’t any Light Pollution! Mars is visible as a red planet. Venus also moved through Pisces later in that time frame. In ancient times, everyone paid attention to Sunrise and Sunset, Moon rising and setting, as well as those “bright planets” that moved across the backdrop of Stars.
It is definitely possible that the convergence of Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars, including the occasional appearance of sparkling bright Venus, could have been our Christmas Star. Tracking the convergence of these planets would have given the Wise Men enough travel time to get to Bethlehem. We may never know for sure, but this is one explanation that does make sense and can be verified.
Our “Christmas Star” programs at the planetarium were the most popular and held everyone’s attention. It was always amazing to see those planets converging in the area known as the Pisces constellation. We even had oooohs and aaaaaahs from many young people as well as adults. Socrates is believed to have said, “Wonder is the beginning of wisdom!" And, the expression of wonder or awe on people’s faces following the “Christmas Star” program was always gratifying.
View all episodes
By Mary ChristopherSome years ago when I was living in Lincoln, Nebraska, I worked at the University of Nebraska Planetarium. I loved working there. I did research, helped write programs, and did presentations. Our Christmas Star program was one of the most interesting, especially for grade school and middle school young people. And, their teachers loved it as well.
The 30 to 40 minute program focused on what could have been seen in the sky long enough to be spectacular. And, been there long enough for the Three Wise Men to follow it to Bethlehem? So, how could anyone figure that out … ? Astronomers have been working on this for centuries. Johannes Kepler and Isaac Newton discovered formulas describing how planets move. After Issac Newton figured out the “Laws of Motion”, tracking the placement of planets through the Heavens was much easier.
However, in the planetarium, we didn’t need to do any calculations. The projector that put all the planets and stars on the overhead dome could do that for us. All we had to do was “run the projector backward” to the general time frame of Jesus' birth. Then we would run the projector forward and watch as different planets aligned to create “bright conjunctions” in specific constellations. Astronomers could also compare these calculations with historical records of ancient observers in the Middle East and China. These comparisons helped confirm possible time frames for very bright planetary conjunctions.
Most current historians think Jesus was probably born sometime between about 7 BCE and 2 BCE (BCE is another way of saying BC). That is a window of a few years. During that time there was a conjunction of planets in the constellation we know as Pisces that could definitely qualify as a “bright star”. It would have been difficult for the people who wrote the gospels to explain “planetary conjunctions”.
There is general agreement that the “Three Wisemen” were Ancient Astronomers who kept meticulous records of the movements of the planets. They also would have studied the records of astromers who came before them. In other words, they knew how to track the movement of planets through the sky, even though these planets moved at different speeds. They could have known far enough in advance when to “pack up”, arrange for a caravan, load their camels, and head west. In those days, everyone traveled by caravan for protection. These were Wise Men, so they would have definitely been traveling with a group of people!
Within that particular ancient time frame, astronomers agree there was a specific ongoing conjunction of 3 planets in Pisces. The 3 planets that converged, over time, in Pisces were Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, and possibly Venus. They gathered in or near that constellation for longer periods because they are farther from the Sun, so their orbits are larger and take longer. Also, planets have retrograde motion that makes them look like they are going in reverse. This is only an apparent motion based on our perspective from Earth.
Jupiter is the largest planet in our Solar System and is usually very bright because it gives off more energy than it absorbs from the Sun! Saturn orbits outside the path of Jupiter, and can be followed easily without any assistance. This was especially true when there wasn’t any Light Pollution! Mars is visible as a red planet. Venus also moved through Pisces later in that time frame. In ancient times, everyone paid attention to Sunrise and Sunset, Moon rising and setting, as well as those “bright planets” that moved across the backdrop of Stars.
It is definitely possible that the convergence of Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars, including the occasional appearance of sparkling bright Venus, could have been our Christmas Star. Tracking the convergence of these planets would have given the Wise Men enough travel time to get to Bethlehem. We may never know for sure, but this is one explanation that does make sense and can be verified.
Our “Christmas Star” programs at the planetarium were the most popular and held everyone’s attention. It was always amazing to see those planets converging in the area known as the Pisces constellation. We even had oooohs and aaaaaahs from many young people as well as adults. Socrates is believed to have said, “Wonder is the beginning of wisdom!" And, the expression of wonder or awe on people’s faces following the “Christmas Star” program was always gratifying.