Star of Bethlehem

====Regulus, Jupiter, and Venus====
{{synthesis|section|date=December 2023}}{{or section|date=December 2023}}
Attorney [[Frederick Larson (filmmaker)|Frederick Larson]] examined the biblical account in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 2<ref name="Matt 2 all bg amp">[https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+2&version=AMP Matthew chapter 2 on Bible Gateway, Amplified Version with footnotes.] Retrieved on December 22, 2015.</ref>{{synthesis inline|date=December 2023}} and found the following nine qualities of Bethlehem's Star:<ref name="USA Today Lawton08">[http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/religion/2008-01-05-epiphany-star_N.htm Lawton, Kim. "Christmas star debate gets its due on Epiphany". USA Today. January 5, 2008.] Retrieved on December 19, 2015.</ref><ref name="abc13 Herzog07">[http://abc13.com/archive/5848072/ Herzog, Travis. "Did the Star of Bethlehem exist?" abc13 Eyewitness News. December 20, 2007.] Retrieved on December 19, 2015.</ref> It signified birth, it signified kingship, it was related to the Jewish nation, and it rose "in the East";<ref name="Matt 2:2 bh">[http://biblehub.com/matthew/2-2.htm Matthew chapter 2, verse 2. Bible Hub with commentaries.] Retrieved on December 19, 2015.</ref>{{synthesis inline|date=December 2023}} King Herod had not been aware of it;<ref name="Matt2:3 bh">[http://biblehub.com/matthew/2-3.htm Matthew chapter 2, verse 3. Bible Hub with commentaries.] Retrieved on December 19, 2015.</ref>{{synthesis inline|date=December 2023}} it appeared at an exact time;<ref name="Matt2:7 bh">[http://biblehub.com/matthew/2-7.htm Matthew chapter 2 verse 7. Bible Hub with commentaries.] Retrieved on December 19, 2015.</ref>{{synthesis inline|date=December 2023}} it endured over time;<ref name="Matt 2:1-10allbhswc">[http://biblehub.com/context/matthew/2-1.htm Matthew chapter 2, verses 2–10. Bible Hub with whole chapter and commentaries.] Retrieved on December 19, 2015.</ref>{{synthesis inline|date=December 2023}} and, according to Matthew,<ref name= "Matt2:9">[http://biblehub.com/commentaries/matthew/2-9.htm Gospel of Matthew chapter 2 verse 9. Bible Hub with commentaries.] Retrieved on December 19, 2015.</ref>{{synthesis inline|date=December 2023}} it was in front of the Magi when they traveled south from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, and then stopped over Bethlehem.<ref name="Ch Hd Ireland">[http://www.christianheadlines.com/news/evidence-emerges-for-star-of-bethlehems-reality-11556969.html Ireland, Michael. "Evidence emerges for Star of Bethlehem's reality". Assist News Service. Christian Headlines. October 18, 2007.] Retrieved on December 19, 2015.</ref>

Using the [[Starry Night (planetarium software)|Starry Night astronomy software]], and an article<ref name="Imprimis Chester 1993"/> written by [[astronomer]] Craig Chester<ref name="EthicsD Cliff 2009">[http://www.ethicsdaily.com/the-star-of-bethlehem-cms-15249 Vaughn, Cliff. "The Star of Bethlehem". Ethics Daily. November 26, 2009.] Retrieved on January 2, 2016.</ref> based on the work of archeologist and historian [[Ernest L. Martin]],<ref name="Chicago Tribune Chester">[http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1993-12-24/news/9312240202_1_astronomers-venus-jupiter Scripps Howard News Service. "Astronomer Analyzes The Star Of Bethlehem". ''The Chicago Tribune''. December 24, 1993.] Retrieved on December 19, 2015.</ref><ref name="Martin book">[http://www.askelm.com/star/index.asp Martin, Ernest.  1991 ''The Star that Astonished the World''. ASK Publications. Can be read for free online, for personal study only. Other uses prohibited.] Retrieved on February 12, 2016. {{ISBN|9780945657880}}</ref> Larson thinks all nine characteristics of the Star of Bethlehem are found in events that took place in the skies of 3–2 BC.<ref name="abc13 Herzog07"/><ref name="R&E Lawton 2007">[https://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/2007/12/21/december-21-2007-star-of-bethlehem/4677/ Lawton, Kim. "Star of Bethlehem". Interview with Rick Larson. PBS, Religion & Ethics Newsweekly. December 21, 2007.] Retrieved on December 19, 2015.</ref> Highlights<ref name="NBC Rao 2011">[http://www.nbcnews.com/id/45778305/ns/technology_and_science-space/#.VoP8HbUYEzN Rao, Joe. "Was the Star of Bethlehem a star, comet … or miracle?" NBC News.  Updated December 12, 2011.] Includes a brief interactive at the bottom, "What's the story behind the Star?" showing retrograde motion and the 3–2 BC planetary conjunctions. Retrieved on January 2, 2016.</ref> include a [[Triple conjunction (astronomy)|triple conjunction]] of [[Jupiter]], called the king planet, with the fixed star [[Regulus]], called the king star, starting in September 3 BC.<ref name="SP St dance coronation">[http://www.bethlehemstar.com/starry-dance/coronation/ Larson, Frederick. "A coronation" Description of Jupiter as king planet.] Retrieved December 22, 2015.</ref><ref name="BP2007">[http://www.bpnews.net/27041 Foust, Michael. Baptist Press. December 14, 2007.] Retrieved on December 19, 2015.</ref> Larson believes that may be the time of Jesus' conception.<ref name="R&E Lawton 2007"/>

By June of 2 BC, nine months later, the human gestation period, Jupiter had continued moving in its [[orbit]] around the Sun and appeared in close [[conjunction (astronomy)|conjunction]] with [[Venus]]<ref name="BP2007"/> in June of 2 BC.<ref name="SP Westward leading">[http://www.bethlehemstar.com/starry-dance/westward-leading/ Larson, Frederick. "Westward leading" Description of when Jupiter and Venus aligned.] Retrieved December 22, 2015.</ref> In [[Hebrew]] Jupiter is called {{transliteration|he|Sedeq}}, meaning "righteousness", a term also used for the [[Messiah]], and suggested that because the [[planet]] Venus represents love and fertility, so Chester had suggested astrologers would have viewed the close conjunction of Jupiter and Venus as indicating a coming new king of Israel, and Herod would have taken them seriously.<ref name="Chicago Tribune Chester"/> Astronomer Dave Reneke independently found the June 2 BC planetary conjunction, and noted it would have appeared as a "bright beacon of light".<ref name="Telegraph Reneke 08">[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/topics/christmas/3687843/Jesus-was-born-in-June-astronomers-claim.html Telegraph. "'Jesus was born in June", astronomers claim". The ''Telegraph''. December 9, 2008.] Retrieved on December 22, 2015.</ref> According to Chester, the disks of Jupiter and Venus would have appeared to touch<ref name="Imprimis Chester 1993"/> and there has not been as close a Venus-Jupiter conjunction since then.<ref name="Chicago Tribune Chester"/>

Jupiter next continued to move and then stopped in its [[apparent retrograde motion]] on December 25 of 2 BC over the town of Bethlehem.<ref name="BP2007"/>{{clarify|reason=If it stopped, it stopped from the point of view of everyone on the planet|date=December 2023}}{{unreliable source|reason=A religious website is not a reliable source for dating astronomical events|date=December 2023}} Since planets in their [[orbit]]s have a "stationary point",<ref name="Imprimis Chester 1993">[http://imprimis.hillsdale.edu/the-star-of-bethlehem/ Chester, Craig. "The Star of Bethlehem". ''Imprimis''. December 1993, 22(12).] Originally presented at Hillsdale College during fall 1992. Retrieved on December 19, 2015.</ref><ref name="Chicago Tribune Chester"/> a planet moves eastward through the stars but, "As it approaches the opposite point in the sky from the sun, it appears to slow, come to a full stop, and move backward (westward) through the sky for some weeks. Again it slows, stops, and resumes its eastward course," said Chester.<ref name="Imprimis Chester 1993"/> The date of December 25 that Jupiter appeared to stop while in [[Retrograde and prograde motion|retrograde]] took place in the season of [[Hanukkah]],<ref name="Imprimis Chester 1993"/> and is the date later chosen to celebrate [[Christmas]].<ref name="BP2007"/><ref name="Hist Christmas 12-25">[http://www.history.com/topics/christmas/history-of-christmas "History of Christmas". History.] Retrieved on December 22, 2015.</ref>