What can you expect to see at the Community Observatory this weekend?

We will be closed this weekend and next. Did you know that the Community Observatory is staffed by volunteers? Our hard-working docents have dedicated many thousands of hours in 2025 to showing the public the wonders of the cosmos. This break comes at a good time since it looks like the weather will not be cooperating either.

Since I am writing this on Christmas Day, I’ll address the Christmas Star. This is the “star” that the magi followed from the East that led them to Bethlehem. There have been many theories about what this might have been. These range from a comet, a conjunction, or a supernova. Let’s look at these.

Comets seem to move slowly, sometimes taking months to traverse the sky. They can be bright and their motion can seem to indicate a direction. Chinese and Korean astronomers recorded a bright comet that was in the sky for about seventy days in 5 BC.

Another theory is that it was a conjunction of two bright planets. The likely candidates are Jupiter, with Venus or Saturn. You may recall an amazing Saturn and Jupiter conjunction in 2020 that was called the “Christmas Star.” There were several conjunctions of these bright planets in the period where we think the birth of Jesus occurred.

Supernovas inside our local galaxy are rare. Only seven of them have been recorded in history. They can be so bright that they are visible even during the day. Their rarity and splendor would certainly have impressed the Magi.

Conclusion? We don’t know. Many people of faith believe that it was a purely miraculous event. Others don’t believe that it even happened. What do you think?

2026 looks to be another great year to see the sky. There is a total lunar eclipse on March 2nd and 3rd and a partial in August. There is a total solar eclipse on August 12th but it is mostly visible over the North Atlantic Ocean. The Sun is still active enough that we could have more Auroras that are visible at mid-latitudes. The Perseid meteor shower on August 12th and the Geminid shower in December will both occur on a nearly moonless nights. Plan on visiting us on a Friday or Saturday evening or for one of these special dates.

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