January 2001 Sky from Keeble Observatory

Last month, we started a list of "hot astronomy links" for the net-surfers, and said that we'd continue the list this month. If I may beg off for another month, let me share with you a continuation of a story we were telling last year at this time.

January 6th is celebrated in most western churches as the Feast of the Epiphany, commemorating the arrival of the Magi in Bethlehem. Matthew's gospel tells us that they were led on their journey by a "star." Astronomers and other scholars have been trying to identify the "star" ever since, with theories ranging from a supernova blast to Halley's Comet.

Last year at this time, I suggested that a series of planetary conjunctions in 7-6 BC would have attracted the attention of Persian astrologers. Historians have traditionally placed the death of Herod in 4 BC, and suggest that a 4 year error by the monks who first counted back to the events surrounding the Nativity (essentially skipping the rule of Octavian before he became Augustus) would also place the Nativity in this time frame. We also mentioned a book by Ernest Martin, "The Star That Astonished the World," which argues for a 1 BC death of Herod, making a spectacular conjunction of Jupiter and Venus a likely candidate for the "Star of Bethlehem." His arguments are based on accounts by Jewish/Roman historian Flavius Josephus, which detail the events surrounding the death of Herod, and make the 4 BC scenario unlikely.

A 1999 book by astronomer Mark Kidger, "The Star of Bethlehem," presents a different argument, again suggesting 4 BC as the time of the star. Chinese and Korean court astrologers reported a "guest star" near the constellation Aquila on the same date in either 4 or 5 BC - one of the records is apparently a transcription error - which persisted for over 70 days visibility. As seen from Babylon or Persia, this guest star would have been first seen after midnight "in the East." If these astrologers had been primed by the conjunctions of 7 - 6 BC to look for a sign, this would have been something of which to take note. Perhaps it would be sufficiently noteworthy to pack up and go searching for a new King of the Jews, presaged by the planets and confirmed by this "new star."

An overland journey from Persia would be just possible in 70 days, if they were already primed to leave. Such a journey from Babylon would take less time, allowing for preparations after first sighting the star. By the time the Magi arrived at Jerusalem, the star would appear to the south, just because of the normal shift in constellations with the seasons. Bethlehem lies due south of Jerusalem, so they might think of the star going before them, and "stopping over the house where the Child was."

Which scenario is correct? I doubt that we'll ever know for sure. But, in a larger sense, does it really matter? The central story of Christmas and Epiphany is not about the star, but about the interaction between humanity and the transcendent - and the details of the story pale before that.

Lunar phases for January 2001: First Quarter on the 2nd, at 5:31 pm; Full Moon on the 9th, at 3:24 pm; Last Quarter at 7:35 am on the 16th; New Moon on the 24th, at 8:07 pm. The Full Moon will be accompanied by a total lunar eclipse, but the Moon will be directly overhead for observers in Oman, on the Arabian Peninsula. We won't see it from Virginia!

Evening twilight will find Venus very bright to the southwest, with Jupiter and Saturn high and to the southeast. Mercury will be hard to find, but will be below and to the right of Venus. Early risers can view Mars to the southeast before dawn.

Our midmonth overhead view at about 8:00 pm finds Jupiter and Saturn almost directly overhead, just a bit south of zenith. They're in the constellation Taurus, near the bright star Aldebaran, and the open cluster of the Pleiades. A line drawn straight to the southeast horizon from Aldebaran takes your line of sight through Orion to the bright star Sirius in Canis Major. Castor and Pollux, in Gemini, lie above the eastern horizon. Directly above the Twins, closer to zenith you will find Capella, in the constellation Auriga. Mirfak, in Perseus is just a bit higher. The wide, nearly-empty square of Pegasus is to the west, with the Andromeda Galaxy visible on a clear, moonless night just above. Deneb, the bright star at the tail of the Swan (Cygnus) is just off the northwest horizon. The sweep of the Milky Way runs almost directly from Deneb to Sirius, bisecting the sky from northwest to southeast.