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The so-called " Star Of Bethlehem " — thought to have appeared c. 6 BC — was theorized to be a greatest conjunction; and some went so far as to assert that it was an Occultation of Saturn by Jupiter, with the two planets appearing to merge into a single object as seen from Earth . However such an event did not take place at historic times. At the greatest conjunction in 6 BC, which is said to be that was the "Star of Bethlehem", the minimum distance between Jupiter and Saturn was around 1 degree, this is twice the Moon 's diameter. The next occultation of Saturn by Jupiter will take place in 7541. There is no obvious period for the occurrence of greatest conjunctions: the last greatest conjunctions took place in 1682/83, 1821 (only in Right Ascension ), 1940 / 41 and 1981 , while the next one will take place in the year 2238 / 39 ! SEE ALSO |