dipper@utastro.UUCP (Debbie Byrd) (12/24/85)
Was there really a new star that led the three wise men to Bethlehem? We'll talk about it -- in just a minute. December 24: The Christmas Star There was supposedly a new star that led the three wise men to Bethlehem. Astronomers and others have looked for evidence of this star in actual historical events. But as yet, no one is sure whether the star of Bethlehem really was a star -- or any kind of celestial object. Through the centuries, there've been a variety of theories about possible candidates for the star of Bethlehem. For example, some old records made by Chinese astronomers indicate that they saw a nova, or exploding star, around the time scholar think that Jesus was born. When a nova erupts, it can cause a formerly invisible star to burst dramatically into view -- in short, to look like a bright new star. The nova seen by the Chinese may also have been seen by the wise men. It may have inspired the story of the Christmas star. Or the story may have been based on a striking arrangement of three planets in the predawn sky. These planets were Jupiter, Saturn and Mars. They appeared near each other in the year 7 B.C. -- near enough to the uncertain date of the birth of Jesus to make them Christmas star candidates. Or perhaps the Christmas star was a comet -- maybe even Comet Halley. So no one really knows the true identity of the Christmas star. It's possible it didn't even exist, except as an ancient symbol of a religious experience -- now more important than ever as a modern symbol of peace and goodwill. Script by Deborah Byrd. (c) Copyright 1984, 1985 McDonald Observatory, University of Texas at Austin