Don’t Miss the ‘Christmas Star’ in the Night Sky this Weekend; Look Out for the Moon and Potential Northern Lights Shows

A trifecta of stargazing events could be visible in space in the coming days.

Researchers have announced that in addition to the crescent moon and potential Northern Lights sightings, Venus, which is the brightest object in the sky after the moon and the sun, will shine brightly from Wednesday onwards. Moreover, Jupiter will reach opposition on Saturday.

“Right now is a great time to go outside and look up at the night sky,” Henry Throop, a planetary scientist at NASA, told ABC News.

According to astronomy.com, the term “Christmas Star” historically referred to the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn or a conjunction involving Jupiter and Venus.

Today, Venus is referred to as the “Christmas Star” because it will be the brightest object in the sky, besides the moon and sun, Throop said.

What does Jupiter opposition mean

When Jupiter is in opposition, it basically means it’s close to the sun and Earth, Throop said.

“And so it appears the brightest in the sky, and it appears largest,” he said.

Where and when you can see Jupiter in the sky

Jupiter is expected to go into opposition on Dec. 7, according to EarthSky.org.

Around sunset, look close to overhead — but not directly — to see Jupiter, which is the next brightest planet after Venus, Throop said.

Other than that, you only need your eyes to see most of the events happening this weekend, Throop said.

“One of the wonderful aspects of stargazing is that you don’t need any special equipment. People have been observing the sky for millennia,” one expert expressed.

What was the Christmas star

Religious texts give reports of a particular star, the Star of Bethlehem, which guided the prophets and religious philosophers of the time, Throop said.

Astronomers believe that the star that guided the prophets at the time could have been Jupiter. But, Venus this year is being referred to as the Christmas Star because of its prominent visibility in the sky.

The star is said to have risen in the east and guided travelers and prophets to the south, Throop said, adding that these ancient accounts make planetary sense.

“We know that’s consistent with basically how the motions of the sky work, where things rise in the east, and they go overhead and they sit in the west,” he said.

Based on reports from other early astronomers and observers — including those from China and Japan — researchers believe the prophets were observing “something very real in the sky,” Throop said. They also have the capability to use computers to create models of where the planets were 2,000 years ago at any given time, which also lends credence to the myth, he said.