After a hard year of blockages and living through the coronavirus pandemic, many of us are looking for a sign of hope. The world can receive that sign on Monday, when Jupiter and Saturn come together to form a great light in the night sky.
And it is too appropriate for this to happen just before Christmas. Let me explain.
About the year 6 BC, the Roman emperor Caesar Augustus ordered that the entire empire be taxed through a census. To do this, all citizens had to return to their ancestral villages. Among the many travelers who returned home to pay taxes were the Virgin Mary and her husband, Joseph.
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Mary was pregnant and on their journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem, the Virgin Mary began to deliver the baby. The nearest stop was an inn, but all the rooms were full. So they were sent to the manger where Mary gave birth to Jesus, whom Christians believe to be the son of God.
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At the same time as Mary and Joseph were traveling to Bethlehem, what appeared to be a bright star appeared in the night sky. According to tradition, great heavenly events signaled the appearance of kings and the favor of God.
In the Bible, three sages knew the tradition and felt that this great “star” would lead them to their savior, so they followed her to an inn in Bethlehem, where they found Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus.
The star that signaled the birth of Jesus Christ and led the sages to their savior became known as the Star of Bethlehem and later the Christmas Star.
This Christmas Star that led the sages to Jesus has become an iconic symbol of Christianity and the light we must follow during the holidays. We see the star above the Christmas trees and in scenes of the Nativity, all referring to the original star that introduced Jesus into the world.
As the star plays a central role in the Christmas story, many people have debated whether it was real or just a symbol of the light that Jesus would bring into the world.
The stars symbolize the emerging hope, God’s plan for the world, and even the journey to find God in our lives, as the sages did. Many people believe that the Christmas Star was just that: a biblical symbol.
Others, however, believe that the Christmas Star was a real, physical, heavenly object. Scientifically, it is possible that the Christmas star existed, but it is known today as what we call a great conjunction.
According to NASA, what has become popularly known as the Christmas Star is “a particularly vibrant planetary conjunction easily visible in the evening sky over the next two weeks as the bright planets Jupiter and Saturn meet, culminating on the night of December 21st.” “
Jupiter and Saturn seem to us to be aligned on Earth about once every 20 years. But this year, the planets will move closer together than they have in 400 years. In addition, it will be the first time in 800 years that alignment occurs at night, allowing people around the world to see it.
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A conjunction between planets could occur at any time throughout the year, as it has been in the past. But this year is special, because Jupiter and Saturn will reach the closest apparent separation in the winter solstice, the darkest day of the year.
I delve into the story of the Christmas Star and what people will see on Monday night in the night sky on the latest episode of my podcast, “Newt’s World”. My guest is Dr. Henry Throop, who explains the scientific nature of the Christmas Star or the great conjunction.
Dr. Throop is a scientist in the Division of Planetary Sciences at NASA headquarters. He focuses his research on the outer solar system and co-discovered Pluto’s Styx Moon in 2012. His expertise is profound, and his perspectives are interesting to anyone interested in space and the unknown.
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I hope you listen to this week’s episode and see the light of Jupiter and Saturn coming together in conjunction on the darkest day of the year, just before Christmas, as a sign of hope for 2021 after the dark and crazy year that was 2020.
I also hope that you will listen to the next episode, broadcast on Wednesday, when I talk to a remarkably brave and amazing person, Sister Orla Treacy, about her efforts to educate girls in South Sudan.
To read, hear and watch more of Newt Gingrich’s comments, visit Gingrich360.com.
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