We now know that they are big balls of gas and rock, like the Earth, each with their own orbit about the Sun. Jupiter takes 12 years to orbit, while Saturn takes 29. Now a clock’s hands also spin at different rates, but align every 65 minutes. Something similar occurs with the planets. Approximately every 20 years, Jupiter catches up with Saturn in the sky.
This is the event we are watching play out right now, coming to just 0.1 degrees of each other on December 21. So close, they will appear as one star in the sky. A similar event has been suggested as an explanation for the Star of Bethlehem. This is why social media is flooded with news of “The Christmas Star” reappearing in our sky.
Perhaps something unexplainable took place back at the birth of Jesus, but nothing was sighted by others also watching for heavenly signs. For perspective, we can look at the Bible:
Often, our English translation removes an important essence from a word. In the Greek translation of Matthew 2:1, east is referred to as anatoli which means the direction east, but the second reference to east is anatolay which refers to the heliacal rising. This occurs when a star rises in the east just before the Sun. Before mechanical clocks, the sky was our timekeeper. For example, farmers in ancient Egypt knew it was time to plant the first day they saw the star Sirius rise before the Sun (its heliacal rising.) This heralded the annual flooding of the Nile, providing ample water for irrigation.“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, ‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.’ ” ~ Matthew 2: 1 – 2
So what was “his” star? In Jewish astrology, Jupiter was considered the King Star, and Saturn, the Star of the Messiah. The two appearing together in the heliacal rising was enough to spur the magi westward to Jerusalem. Why west? Because the stars appeared together in the constellation Pisces, which represented Judea, they went to Jerusalem where Herod’s scholars would tell them:
If getting to Jerusalem took 6 months, by then the Messiah star would now appear to the southwest, over Bethlehem:"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel” ~ Micah 5:2
Lovely to see this conjunction happening at Christmas time. Such a great opportunity to encourage people to go out and behold the wonders of the night sky. Please, grasp this opportunity to take some people out and show them this conjunction, and while you're out there, spin around to the east and show them the Winter Circle coming back to our sky. Wonders, indeed.”After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.“ Matthew 2: 9