Same with me Gorwingel. Mixing up planets and stars is a laymans mistake and not one that ancient peoples made. Planets were stars that moved around and it was ancient astrologers that named them for us (at least the visible ones).
So when Tolkien mentions Earendel's Star, I'm not convinced he is talking about Jupiter. It could be Sirius (the brightest star). As well the red star could be Betelgeuse, which is a very bright red star.
When Tolkien said star, he could have meant exactly that, star not planet. Someone like Aragorn who is steeped in ancient lore certainly would have never made the mistake of saying star when he meant planet. Then again, I've never heard that Tolkien was particularly learned in astronomy or astrology either, so mixing up the two could have been a mistake on his part.
It's tough to call.
H.C.
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"Stir not the bitterness in the cup that I mixed myself. Have I not tasted it now many nights upon my tongue, foreboding that worse yet lay in the dregs."
-Denethor
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