The Star of Bethlehem
In some traditions the Star Of Bethlehem is commonly known as the Christmas Star because of its importance in the Christmas nativity story according to the Gospel of Matthew.
The star led the three Wise Men of the East towards the stable in which Jesus’ birth and the nativity story took place. Christians usually think of the star as a sign to show the birth of Christ but astronomers have thought of many different explanations for the star such as a super-nova which is an exploding star but the only super-nova around that time were at 134 BCE and 173 CE.
There were comets recorded in 17, 5 & 4 BCE and 66 CE, so although this seems like a likely canidate a comet is not likely because they were considered harbingers of doom by astrologers. It seems most unlikely that the “star” was a either a super-nova, comet or arrangement of planets.
Some astronomers say that the Star of Bethlehem is not historically correct and that the star was not even real. According the Gospel of Matthew the three wise men came to the court of Herod in Jerusalem and told the king at the time that a star marked the birth of the ‘King of Jews’.
Many artists’ paintings of the birth of Jesus show a comet (The Star of Bethlehem) above the manger and the three wise men however this is not an accuarate portrait.No agreement has been reached as to the heavenly figure that guided those three wise men on the night of Our Lord Jesus Christ’s birth.
It seems most unlikely that the “star” was a either a super-nova, comet or arrangement of planets.