SATURN IS EXPERIENCING THE OPPOSITION EFFECT: On Oct. 4th, Saturn will be at opposition–directly opposite the sun in the sky. Opposition does something marvelous to Saturn’s rings. It causes them to brighten dramatically.
The phenomenon is called “The Opposition Effect,” and Maximilian-Vlad Teodorescu of Magurele, Romania, caught it in action:
The much-anticipated cosmic event — the nova of T Coronae Borealis (T CrB), the “Blaze Star” (SETI Institute Cosmic Cataclysms program)
News from a round before… NASA, Jun 06, 2024: NASA, Global Astronomers Await Rare Nova Explosion, an event that repeats itself every 80 years. Some researchers say, the nova event could occur by September 2024.
Astronomers are still waiting. The forecast was updated to March 2025, then November 2025. A new star is expected to appear in the Northern Crown (Corona Borealis). It could still “could happen any day” since 2024. When the new star reappears it will shine as bright as Polaris, the North Star.
The Star of Bethlehem was a cosmic event. Astronomers and theologians are still debating the source. Some suggest it may have been a nova (an exploding star) or a comet.
Astronomers often hypothesize that the biblical star wasn’t a single star at all, but rather a rare, bright alignment of planets. A famous pairing of Jupiter and Saturn in the constellation Pisces occurred around 7 B.C., while an incredibly bright alignment of Venus and Jupiter occurred in 2 B.C. (Astronomy.com)
We’re called to watch for the Signs Above and Below that the Day of the Lord is near.
Matthew 24:36 KJV
36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
