Conjunction

[jbseth]

Hi All,

Some astronomers have been telling us that in the last couple of weeks or so, shortly after sunset, in the southwest sky, the planets Jupiter and Saturn are in the process of a conjunction.

Last night was to be close to the peak of this conjunction, in that these 2 planets were said to be really close together. A planetarium program that I bought several years ago, indicates that they'll also be very close together tonight as well and maybe for the next couple of nights, while gradually over time they'll start moving away from each other.

I wasn't able to see this light show last night because it was overcast and raining here in Oregon. But it's supposed to be clearer here today and so I plan to check it out tonight. However, a friend of my wife's, who moved from Oregon earlier this year and now lives in Tennessee, emailed her a photo of it last night and it looked pretty spectacular.  These two planets looked like 1 bright star.

Some people have speculated that it was this type of thing that was the basis for the "Star of Bethlehem" written about in the Gospel of Matthew. This is the "Star" that was seen in the sky the night that Jesus was born.  I have my own personal beliefs about all of that and I won't go into them here; I'll leave you with yours.

I find it interesting that this specific conjunction has occurred close to Christmas.

If you're interested in this, check it out tonight. 

-jbseth

[LarryH]

I saw it last night. The planets were supposed to be about 1/5 of the diameter of the moon apart as seen from Earth, though over 400 million miles from one another. A friend in California took these two photos last night with Yogananda's Self Realization Fellowship in Encinitas in the foreground.

[leidl]

The clouds broke at sunset in the small, historic town where I live.  From my window I could see the conjunction hanging like an ornament, just below the arm of the cross mounted at the top of the Episcopal church steeple, down the alley from my house.

Interesting that this so-called "Christmas Star" would appear on the winter solstice.  I decided to take it as a portent...perhaps we are at the beginning of an era when the pagans and the religious will realize that they shine brightest when they shine together.
From one vantage point they appear impossibly far apart; from another, they are nearly one.   

[jbseth]

Hi LarryH, Hi leidl, Hi All,

LarryH, How awesome, I love the book, "Autobiography of a Yogi" by Yogananda.  If half of the things that he talks about are true, then this reality must be much different than many people (not most Sethites) think it is.

leidl, I really, really, really liked what you said here.  That was beautiful.    

Though, in thinking about this afterward, I would also add the scientists and the atheists to that list as well. 


Thank you both for sharing your physical and mental "pictures" with the rest of us here.


Unfortunately, it was still cloudy here in Oregon last night and so I only got to see one extremely brief image of it last night, while they were very low in the sky. Today is suppose to be clear and cold, and so I think, I'll have a great chance to see it tonight, though they won't be as close together as they were the last two nights.


-jbseth