Saturn Reaches Closest Point at Midnight
The ancient Hebrews associated the planet Saturn with the Messiah and Israel. Three magi from Persia predicted when the Jewish Messiah would be born based on astrology.
Exactly at midnight at the beginning of the year 2004, Saturn will be at its brightest and its closest point to Earth in 29 years.
"SATURN: Beautiful, breathtaking, jaw-dropping, improbably ringed Saturn: It's getting closer every night this week. You can see it, easily, in the constellation Gemini. At the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve, Saturn will be at its best for the next 29 years."
Quoted from
http://www.spaceweather.com
Note:
Gemini is just above Orion, and slightly to the right. It looks like this, although it might not be at exactly the angle shown here, depending on your location:
http://stardate.org/images/constellations/gemini.gif
Saturn should be just below Castor's right knee.