Star Of Bethlehem: Can Astronomy Explain The Biblical Star?

Christmas is about remembering the miraculous birth of Jesus Christ, who was born by a virgin named Mary in a manger in Bethlehem. The story continues with three wise men visiting the baby after following a giant star that led them to the site.

While there has not been any scientific explanation behind the astonishing birth that originated Christmas, Phys.org reported that astronomy Professor Caroline Simpson from Florida International University cited some astronomical occurrences that could possibly explain the famous Star of Bethlehem, also known as the Christmas Star.

According to Biblical history, the three wise men were looking for the Messiah who has been foretold in the Scriptures. They found a huge rising star as a sign of Christ's birth and it went before them until they reached the manger.

There, the wise men worshiped the baby Jesus and they offered him gifts. This probably explains the Christmas gift-giving tradition that people do through the years.

Since the Christmas Star was not a comet and definitely not a stationary object in the sky, Simpson hypothesized that it could be a nova -- where a star suddenly increases its brightness for a certain period of time -- or a supernova -- which is an explosion of a giant star that could be visible for weeks. Although these two theories may be possible, the occurrence of nova and supernova have been well-documented by astronomers. Unfortunately, the only documented occurrence during the Biblical time went in another direction, which was probably not what the wise men followed.

Moreover, Simpson guessed that the Christmas Star could also be a form of planetary conjunction, where two or more planets appear together in the sky. While these are just likely scenarios, astronomers still have not found any scientific evidence for a certain conclusion.