201221 - "Christmas Star" of 2020
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click image to enlarge
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ASTRO:
type=planetary dist=Jupiter~450 M mi; Saturn~900 M mi IMAGE: location=Emerald Bay Point BrtlCls=4 moon=50% 1stQtr exposure=DSLR OSC 1x120s (2m), ISO1600 EQUIPMENT: camera=Nikon D90 (stk) optics=ES102, w10mmEP (afocal projection), FL(eff.)=2143mm, f/18.0 (eff.) filter=(none) mount=Celestron AVX EQ guiding=(none) SOFTWARE: Acquisition=(in-camera) processing=Photoshop |
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Just before Christmas 2020, Jupiter and Saturn came into conjunction - meaning, they came into very close proximity of each other from our viewpoint here on Earth. This "Great Conjunction" occurs appx every 20 years or so. It is termed "Great" because it involves the two (2) largest gas-giant planets of our solar system. Because Jupiter has the "inside track" to Saturn as they both orbit around the Sun, during conjunction it (Jupiter) approaches and then races past Saturn over the course of a season here on Earth.
This particular 'Great Conjunction', however, was one for the record books; because, Jupiter passed within 0.1 visual arc-degrees of Saturn. The last time these two (2) passed that closely together was nearly 400 years ago, and it's been nearly 800 years since it occurred at night.
In addition, because this conjunction occurred on December 21, 2020, it became known as the "Christmas Star of 2020", due largely to three (3) factors:
1) ...because of this event's close time-frame (within 4 days) to Christmas day on December 25, 2020.
2) ...because to the naked (unaided) eye, the planets visually appeared as one (1) single, and VERY bright star. It was only through the use of binoculars or a telescope that the two (2) planets could be 'resolved' into separate objects.
3) ...because due to astronomers' recent determination that the actual (Christmas) Star of Bethlehem was also a planetary conjunction event that occurred at the time of the birth of Jesus Christ, involving the 2 brightest planets Jupiter and Venus. (Yes, due to its close proximity to us, Venus has an apparent brightness that is brighter than that of Saturn when a large portion of its (Venus') face is illuminated by the Sun from our perspective here on Earth.) This conjunction has been determined very accurately and precisely (using modern mathematics and computers) by re-tracing the planet's movements backward through time. This theory currently stands widely accepted in the astronomical community.
This image was captured using a telescope in "afocal projection mode" (with the camera looking through a magnifying eyepiece) on the evening of 12/21/2020. Both Jupiter and Saturn were visible at the same time in the telescope's field-of-view. (...no "trick" blending of separate images here!) It is also interesting to note that all four (4) of Jupiter's great moons are visible: Io ("EYE-oh"), Ganymede, Europa, and Callisto; all 4 of which contributed to the brightness of the visual "star".
AN AGE-OLD ARGUMENT - SCIENCE VS. FAITH:
What makes this SO INTERESTING is that the Star Of Bethlehem represents one in a growing number of cases where Science and Faith agree. In this case, young, modern Science has 'proven' what faith (...as recorded in the eye-witness accounts of the Bible) has held to be true for centuries. Various disciplines of today's modern Science (particularly those of Astronomy and Archeology, and followed closely behind by Geology and Anthropology) are finding more and more instances of agreement.
The late Pope John Paul II (1920 to 2005) appears to have been correct when he wrote about evolution, "Truth cannot contradict Truth. If you believe in the Truth of God, you will not fear what Science discovers - nor will you mistake today's Science as the last, final and only Truth."
The National Science Teachers Association wrote in 2018 its position statement on The Nature of Science, "...Built into the very nature of Science is the presumption that Truth can and will be changed, modified, or completely abandoned. These precepts are counter to those of Faith, which tend to be steadfast, unchanging, and spanning the centuries". Also, "...The nature of science is to exclude the spiritual or supernatural; so, to make statements like, “…faith is not based on facts, and is just a bunch of opinions" falls outside the purview of science, and is an expression of opinion about faith; not something derived from science itself.”
In appx 1954, Albert Einstein wrote, "Two (2) truths focused on the same point of knowledge cannot contradict one other. They MUST both be true! ...We humans, with our limited understanding of the Universe, simply do not yet hold the capacity to understand why they are both True. Such knowledge and understanding has not yet been revealed to us."
We live under the watchful eye of a loving and graceful God. When he is ready for us to know, we will know! Until then, Scientific fact as it is observed and reasoned, and faithful understanding of God's Word as it is interpreted and discerned from Scripture, will just have to agree to ...Agree!
This particular 'Great Conjunction', however, was one for the record books; because, Jupiter passed within 0.1 visual arc-degrees of Saturn. The last time these two (2) passed that closely together was nearly 400 years ago, and it's been nearly 800 years since it occurred at night.
In addition, because this conjunction occurred on December 21, 2020, it became known as the "Christmas Star of 2020", due largely to three (3) factors:
1) ...because of this event's close time-frame (within 4 days) to Christmas day on December 25, 2020.
2) ...because to the naked (unaided) eye, the planets visually appeared as one (1) single, and VERY bright star. It was only through the use of binoculars or a telescope that the two (2) planets could be 'resolved' into separate objects.
3) ...because due to astronomers' recent determination that the actual (Christmas) Star of Bethlehem was also a planetary conjunction event that occurred at the time of the birth of Jesus Christ, involving the 2 brightest planets Jupiter and Venus. (Yes, due to its close proximity to us, Venus has an apparent brightness that is brighter than that of Saturn when a large portion of its (Venus') face is illuminated by the Sun from our perspective here on Earth.) This conjunction has been determined very accurately and precisely (using modern mathematics and computers) by re-tracing the planet's movements backward through time. This theory currently stands widely accepted in the astronomical community.
This image was captured using a telescope in "afocal projection mode" (with the camera looking through a magnifying eyepiece) on the evening of 12/21/2020. Both Jupiter and Saturn were visible at the same time in the telescope's field-of-view. (...no "trick" blending of separate images here!) It is also interesting to note that all four (4) of Jupiter's great moons are visible: Io ("EYE-oh"), Ganymede, Europa, and Callisto; all 4 of which contributed to the brightness of the visual "star".
AN AGE-OLD ARGUMENT - SCIENCE VS. FAITH:
What makes this SO INTERESTING is that the Star Of Bethlehem represents one in a growing number of cases where Science and Faith agree. In this case, young, modern Science has 'proven' what faith (...as recorded in the eye-witness accounts of the Bible) has held to be true for centuries. Various disciplines of today's modern Science (particularly those of Astronomy and Archeology, and followed closely behind by Geology and Anthropology) are finding more and more instances of agreement.
The late Pope John Paul II (1920 to 2005) appears to have been correct when he wrote about evolution, "Truth cannot contradict Truth. If you believe in the Truth of God, you will not fear what Science discovers - nor will you mistake today's Science as the last, final and only Truth."
The National Science Teachers Association wrote in 2018 its position statement on The Nature of Science, "...Built into the very nature of Science is the presumption that Truth can and will be changed, modified, or completely abandoned. These precepts are counter to those of Faith, which tend to be steadfast, unchanging, and spanning the centuries". Also, "...The nature of science is to exclude the spiritual or supernatural; so, to make statements like, “…faith is not based on facts, and is just a bunch of opinions" falls outside the purview of science, and is an expression of opinion about faith; not something derived from science itself.”
In appx 1954, Albert Einstein wrote, "Two (2) truths focused on the same point of knowledge cannot contradict one other. They MUST both be true! ...We humans, with our limited understanding of the Universe, simply do not yet hold the capacity to understand why they are both True. Such knowledge and understanding has not yet been revealed to us."
We live under the watchful eye of a loving and graceful God. When he is ready for us to know, we will know! Until then, Scientific fact as it is observed and reasoned, and faithful understanding of God's Word as it is interpreted and discerned from Scripture, will just have to agree to ...Agree!