GREAT CONJUNCTION TO APPEAR AGAIN ON CHRISTMAS 2874

Some have suggested this holiday season that the Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn on December 21, 2020 might be a replica of the legendary Star of Bethlehem.

Actually, one of the more popular theories for the "Christmas Star" was a series of conjunction between Jupiter and Saturn in 7 BC. For in that year Jupiter and Saturn met not once but three times that year (in May, September and December).

But one thing is certain. If you consider a very close conjunction between Jupiter and Saturn as a "Christmas Star," an orbital simulator shows that the two planets will scrunch even closer together on Dec. 25, in the year 2874.

The first conjunction (on May 29 — visible "in the east" before sunrise) presumably started the Magi on their way to Bethlehem from the Far East. The middle conjunction (September 30) may have strengthened their resolve in the purpose of their journey, while the third and final conjunction (Dec. 5) occurred just as they arrived in Judea to meet with King Herod, who sent them on to Bethlehem to "go and search diligently for the young child," Joe Rao, a lecturer at New York’s Hayden Planetarium, reported for Live Science.

But while single conjunctions of Jupiter and Saturn occur once every 20 years, such triple conjunctions are far less frequent, occurring about once every 180 years on average; the last time was in 1981, but the next won't happen until 2239.

For the Magi, Jupiter, pacing back-and-forth with Saturn in 7 BC would certainly have been looked upon as something unique. But this year, Jupiter and Saturn will only have a single meeting, low in the southwest sky after sunset on Dec. 21.

Whether from an astrological point of view that one single "celestial summit meeting" might have been a significant enough sign in the sky for the Magi to begin their trek to Judea is unknown.

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