No one is suggesting that this event tells us anything about what may or may not have happened in the sky at the time of the birth of Jesus. But the timing is cool nonetheless. I can just see the two planets on the horizon in the evening from my back garden. I hope we have clear weather on the 21st.
For many PaleoJudaica posts on the the Star of Bethlehem, which I think was probably a midrashic legend rather than an astronomical event, start here and follow the links.
UPDATE (21 December) with a correction here.
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