VALERIE WELLS
Editor s note: The Christmas star appeared in the sky on Monday. If you missed it, check out these photos and videos.Â
Stars appear on the tops of Christmas trees, in Christmas carols and on Christmas cards in homage to the Star of Bethlehem that guided the Magi to the baby Jesus.
What some are calling a Christmas starâ will appear on Monday, the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn when the two planets will be so close in the twilight and early evening that they will appear to the naked eye as one bright light in the southwestern sky, just above the horizon.
A rare âChristmas Starâ will occur on December 21 and will be visible for the entire week. On the winter solstice, Jupiter and Saturn will look like a âdouble planetâ for the first time since March 4, 1226. The two planets will appear aligned to us on Earth because we orbit around the sun quickly. Alignments between these two planets are rather rare. but this conjunction is exceptionally rare because of how close the planets will appear to be to one another, Patrick Hartigan, Astronomer at Rice University. Itâs thought that the star of Bethlehem may have been a rare conjunction between Jupiter, Saturn, and Venus. The rare âChristmas Starâ will be visible everywhere. All you need is a clear view of the southwest
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