As its that time of year...

[Dazzyt66]

I started wondering if the star of Bethlehem was real? So, as usual I Googled it and came across this as the first hit:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-20730828

Given that I've spent quite a few mornings looking easterly at Venus, Mars and Jupiter relatively close together I think the conjunction theory is probably near the mark... And I imagine it would've been awesome!

Clear skies!

Dazzyt

Skywatcher 150P

[Pete Presland]

I like the idea of a comet! A nice BIG naked eye comet for Christmas, but then that's just the astronomer in me talking 

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Comet were generally seen as bad omens (hence the word disaster = bad star), so it is not that likely

[MAN or ASTROMAN]

Next month's 'S@N' is all about this topic.

[baggywrinkle]

Far too early to discuss this...Bah! Humbug! ;-)

[Knight of Clear Skies]

This Ask xkcd column explains what path the magi would have taken if they'd followed various astronomical objects.

For example, if they followed Venus they'd eventually wind up at the North Pole, assuming they had some seriously athletic camels.

[mikeDnight]

The Chinese would certainly have recorded a comet or any new star, and the planets were well known and their positions accurately recorded long before the Christian era. The record shows these men were Magi (astrologers), and so were likely looking for signs through astrological charts, so in effect the star could possibly existed only on paper so to speak.

The record of events states that the star first guided the Magi to Herod, who then sent them to search for the massiah and report back to him (Herod). This star then guided the Magi to a house where the young child was, and not to a stable where he was born. Once they'd found the messiah they then failed to return to Herod, who then in a rage executed all the boys up to 2years old, (remember Jesus was a young child and not a baby at this time). Jesus parents however had fled into Egypt before Herod's attack. All these events were prophecies in the bible long before they happened, everything except the Magi and the star. So the star, if it were real from the point of view of the Magi and other onlookers, must have been within the earth's atmosphere, as it reportedly moved, guiding the astrologers and eventually remaining stationary above the house. One possibility could be ice crystals reflecting the sun's light. What it was not was a literal star, planet or comet!

Mike

[laudropb]

It will be interesting to see what the BBC's S@N make of it in next months programme. I have read many articles and books about this, but I think that the general opinion is that there is no astronomical explanation.

[triton1]

Bah humbug!

[Stu]

A gentle reminder to keep religion out of this topic, discussion about potential scientific explanations only please [emoji3]

Thanks

[Knighty2112]

A gentle reminder to keep religion out of this topic, discussion about potential scientific explanations only please [emoji3]

Thanks

Wow! Good job I never mentioned anything about UFO's to try to explain it also, otherwise I guess I'd get banned from here! Hehe!

[wheresthetorch?]

Wow! Good job I never mentioned anything about UFO's to try to explain it also, otherwise I guess I'd get banned from here! Hehe!

Good job no-one started a thread about a biblical event. Oh, err, hang on ....