What did the magi see in the night sky? ‘Star of Bethlehem’ talk to give answers Dec. 19-20

Magi traveled hundreds of miles from the east to worship the newborn Jesus, the Christmas story goes.

But how did they know to set out on their journey?

What exactly did they see in the night sky that inspired and guided them?

A Richland engineer who’s done extensive research into the celestial events around the time of Jesus’ birth is giving a talk that aims to answer some of those questions.

The Star of Bethlehem will be presented twice — at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 19 and 20.

It’s at Bechtel National Planetarium on Columbia Basin College’s campus in Pasco.

Murray Thorson is giving the presentation, with help from planetarium director Kristy Henscheid.

Using special software, the planetarium screen will show what the magi would have seen in the sky around the time of Jesus’ birth, Thorson said.

“We will watch the night sky from the perspective of the magi. We’ll see the same things they would have seen,” he told the Herald.

Thorson also will weave Bible scripture and historical accounts into the presentation.

Together, it’s “like putting on a glove that fits well on the hand. It all comes together,” he said.

“The presentation is (being given) so you can see it and marvel at the hand of God. Jesus is the promised Son of God. He is the Isaiah 9:6 child, and it was predestined from creation of the world,” Thorson said. “When the stars were put in motion, they were all set up to produce the pattern. All I’m doing is showing the pattern.”

Columbia Bible Church is sponsoring the presentation.

The Star of Bethlehem is free and open to the public. Seating is limited, and people are encouraged to reserve tickets at www.tinyurl.com/cbcstartalk.

This story was originally published December 9, 2015 at 11:00 PM with the headline "What did the magi see in the night sky? ‘Star of Bethlehem’ talk to give answers Dec. 19-20."