Filenews 10 December 2020 - by Despina Psyllaou
The rare "Star of Bethlehem" will dominate the night sky during Christmas week. It is a meeting of the two largest planets in the solar system, Jupiter and Saturn, which after 800 years will appear close to each other, giving the feeling of a single celestial body. As noted in "F" by the president of the Astronomical Society of Cyprus, astrophysicist Chrysanthos Fakas, the peak of the phenomenon will take place during the longest night and at the same time a shorter day of the winter solstice and the beginning of winter, on December 21st. The phenomenon will be visible from the entire planet.
Mr Fakas said this phenomenon is known as the Jupiter and Saturn summit. "The great encounter of the giant planets of Jupiter and Saturn began, where every day they get closer and closer to each other, creating in the sky a beautiful and impressive sight," he said. He added, at the same time, that on December 21st, the orbits of the planets will have their session and the two bright celestial bodies will shine as if they were a single one.
At the same time, Mr. Fakas noted that it was the astronomer Johannes Kepler who in 1614 claimed that the "star of Bethlehem" in the history of the Nativity is the synod of Jupiter, Saturn and Mars. "He called it the Fiery Triangle," he explained, adding that while Mars is relatively close, it will not be part of the upcoming phenomenon.
The "star of Bethlehem" is a unique, impressive and rare phenomenon, which is worth noticing. Although the peak of the phenomenon is on the day of the winter solstice, however it will continue to be visible in the coming days and until Christmas, the planets will simply begin to move away from each other again.
