Star of Wonder
Read Matthew 2:1-12
Thanks to nasa.gov, I get alerts when the International Space Station will be visible over Huntington. Thankfully, the directions are very specific: what time it will appear on the horizon, from which direction, how many minutes it will be visible, and in what direction it will disappear. I can’t explain why, but I love spotting the Space Station. I know the astronauts can’t see me waving and wishing them well, but it makes me feel good anyway.
Thinking about the Space Station got me to thinking about the Star of Bethlehem. It is mentioned only in Matthew. Most translations say “wise men” from the east came to honor the baby Jesus. Some say “magi” or “scholars” or “astrologers.” These were educated men of science! Their studies found a new star in the East signaling the birth of a new king. I was interested to find a scientific explanation for the Star of Bethlehem.
Fred Grosse, a professor of physics and astronomy at Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pa.,says the favorite hypothesis for the star of Bethlehem is a planetary conjunction.
A conjunction happens when two celestial objects appear to pass very near to each other from our perspective on Earth. Often, these conjunctions look like one large object rather than separate ones.
“In 6 BCE, Jupiter and Saturn passed each other three times, in May, September, and December – a triple conjunction,” Grosse says. Since the actual year of Jesus’ birth is tough to pin down, an event in 6 BCE remains a good candidate to explain what the Magi saw.
“Because this conjunction only happens once every 140 years, it would have been a significant event to astrologers from Babylon.
“A conjecture is that they saw the first passing from their homes, left for Jerusalem, and got there in time for the second or third passing to guide them to Bethlehem.”
Though this is the dominant explanation for the star in the east, it’s not the only one.
“Nova and Supernova are new objects which appear in the sky and then dim to oblivion,” Grosse explains. And they can put on the kind of show that first century astrologers would have noticed.
According to Chinese records, there were supernova that appeared in the sky right around the time when Jesus may have been born, in 4 and 5 BCE.
But the fact that there’s a possible scientific explanation to what the Magi saw, doesn’t mean to Grosse that the event loses its transcendence.
“The symbolism is apparent. A small clear light, on a cold dark night, in a sometimes cold and dark world, leads the wise to the message of Jesus. The message tells us to love each passenger who journeys with us on this small, fragile, planet Earth.”
Anita Gardner Farrell
Thanks to nasa.gov, I get alerts when the International Space Station will be visible over Huntington. Thankfully, the directions are very specific: what time it will appear on the horizon, from which direction, how many minutes it will be visible, and in what direction it will disappear. I can’t explain why, but I love spotting the Space Station. I know the astronauts can’t see me waving and wishing them well, but it makes me feel good anyway.
Thinking about the Space Station got me to thinking about the Star of Bethlehem. It is mentioned only in Matthew. Most translations say “wise men” from the east came to honor the baby Jesus. Some say “magi” or “scholars” or “astrologers.” These were educated men of science! Their studies found a new star in the East signaling the birth of a new king. I was interested to find a scientific explanation for the Star of Bethlehem.
Fred Grosse, a professor of physics and astronomy at Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pa.,says the favorite hypothesis for the star of Bethlehem is a planetary conjunction.
A conjunction happens when two celestial objects appear to pass very near to each other from our perspective on Earth. Often, these conjunctions look like one large object rather than separate ones.
“In 6 BCE, Jupiter and Saturn passed each other three times, in May, September, and December – a triple conjunction,” Grosse says. Since the actual year of Jesus’ birth is tough to pin down, an event in 6 BCE remains a good candidate to explain what the Magi saw.
“Because this conjunction only happens once every 140 years, it would have been a significant event to astrologers from Babylon.
“A conjecture is that they saw the first passing from their homes, left for Jerusalem, and got there in time for the second or third passing to guide them to Bethlehem.”
Though this is the dominant explanation for the star in the east, it’s not the only one.
“Nova and Supernova are new objects which appear in the sky and then dim to oblivion,” Grosse explains. And they can put on the kind of show that first century astrologers would have noticed.
According to Chinese records, there were supernova that appeared in the sky right around the time when Jesus may have been born, in 4 and 5 BCE.
But the fact that there’s a possible scientific explanation to what the Magi saw, doesn’t mean to Grosse that the event loses its transcendence.
“The symbolism is apparent. A small clear light, on a cold dark night, in a sometimes cold and dark world, leads the wise to the message of Jesus. The message tells us to love each passenger who journeys with us on this small, fragile, planet Earth.”
Anita Gardner Farrell
No comments:
Post a Comment