FSogol's 2018 Advent Calendar Day 19: What Exactly Was the Christmas Star?

[FSogol]

From the King James Bible, Matthew 2:1 - 2:12

1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

3 When Herod the king had heard [these things], he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.

5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,

6 And thou Bethlehem, [in] the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.

7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.

8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found [him], bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.

9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.

10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

During the Christmas season, it’s hard to go anywhere without seeing stars hanging from street lamps and perched atop Christmas trees. Although the Star of Bethlehem appears just once in the Bible, in the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament, it has become one of the holiday’s most important and enduring symbols. Yet astronomers are still puzzled by whatever might have inspired that aspect of the Christmas story.

As EarthSky.org’s Larry Sessions writes, it's clear to modern astronomers that the Star of Bethlehem behaved very oddly, if it existed at all. First of all, Jesus Christ almost certainly wasn’t born in December, so looking for its origins in the night sky this time of year isn’t the best place to start. Historians have long agreed that Christmas shares roots with the ancient Roman solstice holiday, Saturnalia, and that Jesus was most likely born in the spring when shepherds would be tending their flocks, Donna Vickroy writes for the Chicago Tribune. In fact, Christmas only takes place on December 25 because of the Roman Emperor Constantine, who moved the holiday in order to coincide with the shortest night of the year.
While the Bible says that the three Magi were led to Jesus’ birthplace by a star in the sky, Art Maurer, the director of Joliet Junior College’s Trackman Planetarium, tells Vickroy that that explanation doesn’t quite jibe with the rest of the story. "The Magi came from Persia, which meant they traveled 900 miles west. So they didn't see a star in the east," Maurer tells Vickroy.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/what-exactly-was-christmas-star-180957637/#EYkbxSURgSq3Q7k8.99

The next theory is they followed a bright meteor, supernova, or comet. Meteors burn up to quickly and wouldn’t give the kings much to follow. Halley’s comet went by in 11 BC. Comets were considered bad omens, not good ones in the ancient world. Lastly, history records no supernova in that period.

There’s one other possibility: it could have been a visible planet, like Jupiter. According to Maurer, Jupiter was in retrograde at the time, which means it would have appeared to travel east as it rose in the sky each night. Not only that, but ancient astronomers considered it the king planet, and its appearance in the Leo constellation might have been pretty significant for people who saw meaning in the movements of the stars and planets, Vickroy writes.

PS. Jupiter is pretty bright in the southern sky this year.
https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/visible-planets-tonight-mars-jupiter-venus-saturn-mercury

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/what-exactly-was-christmas-star-180957637/#EYkbxSURgSq3Q7k8.99

(For an explanation of my advent project and a link to last years posts, see
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10181152160 )

[dae]

1. Nice, thank you for the OP.

[FSogol]

2. You are welcome. n/t

[rurallib]

3. I sure appreciate the work you have put into this over the years

it's a nice time of year to be enlightened.

[FSogol]

4. I'm glad people enjoy them. I have a lot of fun researching this stuff. N/t

[ornotna]

5. I've seen your posting on this

This was the first one I opened and thoroughly enjoyed it, thanks. Now I have to go and read more of them.

[FSogol]

6. My favorites are the origins of santa and the reindeer from last year.