Was the \u2018Star of Bethlehem\u2019 an intergalactic interloper like 1I\/Oumuamua (2017) or 2I\/Borisov (2019) or 3I\/ATLAS (2025)? While the Biblical text doesn\u2019t shed light (no pun intended) on the astronomical event associated with the bunch of wise men from east visiting the house of \u2018King of the Jews,\u2019 there have been some wild speculations on what the star could have been that led the magi to the savior\u2019s doorstep.<\/p>\n
Some conjectures, like the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn or Jupiter and Venus, have been floating for a while now. The idea of a star being a supernova or comet has also been around. For the faithful, though, the details don’t really matter but that didn\u2019t stop a few men of science from crunching some numbers.<\/p>\n
Johannes Kepler | 1614<\/p>\n
The German polemic renowned for laws of planetary motion estimated that in the year 7 BC Jupiter and Saturn aligned in conjunction. He incorrectly assumed that this event caused a bright nova in the sky.<\/p>\n
Karlis Kaufmanis | 1972<\/p>\n
Professor of astronomy at the University of Minnesota, Dr. Karlis Kaufmanis, in the early 20th century argued that there were multiple astronomical events that formed the \u2018Star of Bethlehem.\u2019 It was \u201cwhere Jupiter, the King star, and Saturn, the star of the Messiah, appeared together in the constellation Pisces, or Fish, known to astrologers as the House of the Hebrews, in the eastern sky at sunrise, or at the heliacal rising.\u201d<\/p>\n
Colin Nicol | 2015<\/p>\n
Professor of New Testament at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary has theorized that the star could have been a comet, labeling it \u201cThe Great Christ Comet\u201d that possibly appeared in 6 BC.<\/p>\n
Mark Matney | 2025<\/p>\n
Amid all the hypotheses, NASA scientist Mark Matney\u2019s stand out. In his recently published paper <\/a>at the British Astronomical Association, he argues (in abstract) that his paper<\/p>\n introduces a comet candidate to explain the Star that the Magi associated with the birth of Jesus as described in the biblical book of Matthew. By utilizing observations of a comet recorded in Chinese annals in 5 BCE, a novel numerical technique was used to compute an orbit for this comet that could have passed very close to Earth in early June of 5 BCE, exhibiting \u2018temporary geosynchronous\u2019 motion.<\/p>\n This is the first astronomical candidate for the Star ever identified that could have had apparent motion corresponding to the description in Matthew, where the Star \u2018went before\u2019 the Magi on their journey to Bethlehem until it \u2018stood over\u2019 where the child Jesus was.<\/p>\n He adds<\/p>\n The study also examines how the Magi may have been influenced by ancient beliefs about comets, as described in Greco-Roman astrological writings, contemporary cuneiform omen texts, and the belief system of astrological geography. There is also a discussion of how this comet candidate corresponds to the chronology of the events surrounding Jesus\u2019 birth.<\/p>\n You can read the open access paper here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Planetary scientist Mark Matney has uncovered what he describes as the first scientifically-grounded explanation for the Star of Bethlehem, which guided the Three Wise Men to the birth of Jesus more than 2,000 years ago.<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83d\udd13 Become a GB News Member: https:\/\/t.co\/mNsRsGC8ef<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/JpSrc1zXRn<\/a> Meanwhile for those interested in the source file, here\u2019re the verses narrating how the event unfolded from the Gospel of Matthew 2:1-12<\/p>\n In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising and have come to pay him homage.”[15] When King Herod heard this, he was frightened and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.'” Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary, his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another path.<\/p>\n See Also: Christmas 2025: From Scary Krampus To Japanese KFCs, Five Bizarre Xmas Traditions Around The World<\/a><\/p>\n See Also: Netizen Shares Baby Jesus Sculpture That Eerily Resembles Mark Zuckerberg; Jack Dorsey Calls It \u2018Meta\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n \nCover: Illustrative \/ Pexels <\/a><\/p>\n
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