THE festive season is about to get a little bit brighter – thank your lucky stars.
Look up at the night sky on Monday and you could witness what is being called the return of the Star of Bethlehem — the bright light that guided the Three Wise Men on their journey to find the baby Jesus.
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What is the Star of Bethlehem?
In a rare astrological event, which has not occurred since the Middle Ages, planets Saturn and Jupiter are set to align, appearing to almost kiss each other in a dazzling display.
Some experts suggest this celestial phenomenon could be the star that kings Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar are said to have followed over 2,000 years ago.
The story is told in the Gospel of Matthew. In his account, the wise men arrive in Jerusalem and say to King Herod: “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising and have come to pay him homage.”
How can I see the Star of Bethlehem?
There is a sweet spot about 45 minutes after sunset.
The exact time for the sun setting depends on which part of the nation you are in, but it should be between 3pm and 3.15pm.
You will see the planets as the sky starts to darken.
As the night draws in they will slip further down towards the horizon and by around 6.20pm they will have disappeared from view.
You will still be able to see Jupiter and Saturn close together on the day before and day after, but they will clearly be separate bodies.
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When can we see Jupiter and Saturn converging?
The last time Saturn and Jupiter could be seen so clearly and closely together was 800 years ago.
The planets will align on the afternoon of Monday December 21, 2020.
Dr Roberty Massey, deputy executive director of the Royal Astronomical Society, tells The Sun: “It is a rare and spectacular event which is free, so why not go enjoy it because lockdown can’t stop it.”
Here, Dr Massey explains everything you need to know about Monday’s heavenly coming together.
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How can we locate the planets?
AFTER the sun has set, look in the direction where it went down and there will still be a brighter part of the sky.
That is where the two planets should appear. All the planets go round the sun, so from Earth we tend to see them in the same band around the sky.
Keep looking until you see Jupiter, which is quite bright on its own, and Saturn will be right next to it, but a bit fainter.
I am looking forward to it, this is the kind of event I get excited about witnessing.
How rare is this event?
THE conjunction of these two planets in the sky, and being easily visible, has not happened for 800 years.
There have been similar planetary conjunction events since then, but not with Jupiter and Saturn so close together in this way.
The next time these two planets will be this close together is 2080.
It also occurred in 1623, but they were then so near to the sun that you could not make them out.
It is, of course, an optical illusion that the planets are together.
In fact, they will be almost 500million miles apart.
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Do I need any specialist equipment?
THERE is some discussion as to whether you will see the planets as two objects or one because they are so close together.
It may well depend on the quality of your eyesight.
If your vision is sharp you may be able to make out that they are two planets.
If not, they will probably be a strange-shaped object, or just a single dot.
If you pick up a pair of binoculars or a small telescope you will definitely be able to see they are two objects.
With a good telescope you will be able to see Saturn’s rings and the weather patterns on Jupiter.
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Where is best to watch the event?
IT IS important to have a clear view of the horizon, because tall trees and buildings are likely to get in the way otherwise.
That might mean standing in the nearest park or finding a street from which you can clearly see the sun setting.
It will also be weather dependent, because cloud cover would get in the way.
Hopefully, though, even if it is a bit overcast, there will be a break in the clouds so you can see the pair of planets.
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It is also possible they saw two planets — Jupiter and Saturn — moving across the sky together from night to night and felt guided by them.
But planets are not a good directional marker because they do not stay in the same place.
We will probably never come to a firm conclusion.
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