The Christmas Star, also known as the Star of Bethlehem, is part of the story of the Nativity of Jesus, according to Christian tradition. According to her, a bright star appeared in the sky, leading the Three Magi or Wise Men to the birthplace of Jesus in Bethlehem.
But is there anything that could scientifically explain this phenomenon? There aren’t many details in the Bible about what it might have been, but science has suggested some possible scenarios to explain it.
Supernova: Some astronomers suggest that the Christmas Star could have been a supernova. That is if it were a star that explodes in the sky with great brightness. In the last stages of their lives, very large stars explode and for a short time, we see them brighter. Examples of such explosions in our galaxy are Kepler’s Supernova and Tycho Brahe’s Supernova in 1604 and 1572 respectively, which were also visible to the naked eye. More recently, a supernova in galaxy M81 lit up the entire galaxy in 2014.
Meeting of Planets: Another common theory is that the Christmas Star was a meeting of planets. These encounters occur when two or more planets appear close to each other in the night sky, creating a bright, distinct event. The conjunction of the planets Jupiter and Saturn on the day of the winter solstice in 2020 is mentioned as such an event.
Comet: Some argue that the Christmas Star was a bright comet. Comets can have a distinctive appearance and are historically associated with important events. –>>>(photos by Neowise, Erik Papatheodoou, C/2020 F3 (Neowise) on Skinaka)
