Christmas is approaching and the search for an astronomical explanation about the story of the Star of Bethlehem continues, which has been linked to the birth of Jesus as a guide for the three wise men. Thanks to current technology, astronomers have been able to venture with hypotheses about this interesting phenomenon.
Discover here the four most relevant hypotheses
1. It was initially thought that the Star of Bethlehem could have been a comet, but the closest comet to that time was Halley, which appeared in the year 12 B.C.
2. Another possibility is that it was a supernova, a large magnitude explosion that accompanies the death of some stars. However, the closest supernova occurred 185 years after the birth of Jesus.
3. A third hypothesis is related to the conjunction of Jupiter, Saturn, and the Moon, which was a relevant astronomical phenomenon in the year 6 B.C. However, this phenomenon does not seem to have come close enough to have been observed from Earth.
4. Finally, the most plausible hypothesis is that the Star of Bethlehem was Sirius, a massive and bright star that dominated the sky along with the Moon in December. This star was used for centuries as a guide in the northern hemisphere.
