Jupiter (bright at left) and Saturn (dimmer at centre) over hoodoo formations at Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alberta, August 29/30, 2021, with the foreground illuminated by moonlight from the rising last quarter Moon. The planets are in or near the constellation of Capricornus framed at centre. This is a blend of two images: a single tracked 1-minute exposure for the sky at f/2.8 and ISO 800 plus a single untracked 3-minute exposure for the ground at f/4 and ISO 800, both with the Canon 15-35mm RF lens at 29mm and Canon R6 camera on the Star Adventurer Mini tracker. I added a mild Orton effect with Luminar AI. Long Exposure Noise Reduction applied to the ground image in camera. (Photo by: Alan Dyer/VW Pics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images).
Everyone knows the nativity story about the three wise men who followed a bright star in the east. Go outside after sunset this month and look to the east, and yes, there it is – the Star of Bethlehem! The Christmas Star! Or is it?
That bright light high above the eastern horizon is, in fact, the planet Jupiter. It’s now about as bright as it ever gets, and it dominates the night sky. It outshines everything except Venus, the moon and the sun. Is its presence a coincidence? Could it be the inspiration for the ‘real’ Star of Bethlehem? Here’s precisely what’s going on with the bright ‘star’ in the east – and how you can see it at its best.
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