Venus and Jupiter bring Magi
Universe Today is running an article on the upcoming close conjunction of Venus and Jupiter tomorrow morning.
More interesting is a rather famous close conjunction, which occurred in 3 BC: “This historic conjunction occurred on August 12th at 03:00 UTC and was widely visible from the Middle East. That year Venus and Jupiter were only 10 arc-minutes or 0.16 degrees apart in the constellation of Leo the Lion. With such a narrow separation, light reflected from the two would seem to merge into one as seen with the unaided eye.”
We currently celebrate Christmas on December 25 because it was the birth of the infant god Mithra, said to be born of rock on that day, regarded by many Romans as the holiest day of the year.
This holiday came during Saturnalia, the Roman harvest, solstice and solar celebration which lasted an entire month.