The 2020 Star

If you, like me, grew up in an urban area, then light pollution blotted out the night sky during your childhood. But if fortunate, you might find yourself one day living out in the country where the stars at night are spectacular.

We made that transition from urban to rural life and then back again. The most astonishing sight on our little ranch in North Texas was the sky. We lived on open land at the top of a hill, so the drama of sunrises, sunsets, and clouds defined every day. And at night? A cascade of stars dazzled us. Although we are quite content now to live in a wonderful hilly, wooded North Carolina neighborhood with good folks next door, we miss the skies of Texas.

Here is the truth: a person cannot live with an unfettered view of the night sky and remain indifferent to it. Most likely that person will become enthralled by it. Having an ongoing connection to the night sky changes a person’s understanding of life. Before the city streets of Europe were lit by gas lanterns, starting in Paris around 1820, the nights were truly dark everywhere – and virtually everybody could see the stars. Everything from song and poetry to art and theater was affected by the general understanding of the night sky.

Modern astronomical science is awe-inspiring. The critical discovery was Kepler’s accurate description of planetary motion in 1609. But scholars in Jesus’ time, without the benefit of Kepler, understood quite a few things about the stars, albeit imperfectly. They knew that stars all move around the polestar while the planets follow different patterns, and they understood those patterns. How could wise men of any era not be fascinated by a constantly varied display of enormous proportions presented so vividly each night?

I am no astronomer, although my cousin is (recently he has been sending me extraordinary information regarding new astronomical research on a level of detail not easy to comprehend). Nor will I try to vouch for the accuracy of what aligned with what more than 2000 years ago or how it might have appeared to shepherds and scholars. But I’m intrigued by the report that Jupiter and Venus aligned in 3 BC along with the star Regulus, yielding an implied symbolism of father (Jupiter), mother (Venus), and King (Regulus). You can read various theories about this, but such an alignment clearly is not a common event.

Now there are many reports about another “Christmas Star” set to appear tonight (!) with the alignment of Jupiter and Saturn. It happened last in 1623, but you probably missed it, particularly since it did not occur at night. Humor aside, you would have to go back to 1226 for this phenomenon to be visible in the night sky. So may I suggest that you not skip this event with the idea of seeing it the next time? It will occur in the night sky (to the southwest) one hour after sunset. You don’t even need to set an alarm or keep the kids up late.

Was the star that the Wise Men followed a natural (if highly unusual) event like this? If so, it raises interesting questions about miracles and signs in general. There are those today who expect miracles to be totally beyond scientific explanation. We moderns tend to like our miracles flashy, with all the special effects of a Hollywood blockbuster. Perhaps, living in well-lit cities and armed with computer models, we forget that the night sky and celestial movements are already more dramatic than any filmmaker could ever dream up.

So tonight, look at the sky if you can. Consider how the people viewing the Bethlehem Star were more attuned to the sky than we ever can be. Ask yourself why they were more inclined to see God’s hand in such an unusual events. And remember, whether Jesus’ birth was marked by a supernova or the alignment of planets, important people saw it, studied it, understood it, and acted on it. And that made them wise men.