Thursday, December 27, 2007

Star of Bethlehem wasn't a comet -what else could it have been?

A few years ago, I researched the subject of the Star of Bethlehem for a presentation I was doing in Kansas City, KS. I pointed to 10 different possibitilies, omens, events, astronomical phenomenon. My presentation was entitled "The 10 Myths of the Star of Bethlehem".

12/28/2007 http://eoas-dreric1kansas.blogspot.com/
(E.O.A.S.blog1) Students will learn how and what ways astronomical events, objects and phenomenon influence history, politics, religion etc

It wasn't Halley's Comet which appeared in sky 12BC ( was late and nearer to 2 BC) Besides comets were bad omens and mostly associated with dread. .

http://clioaudio.com/2007/12/24/nero-and-the-comets-of-doom/

This nice account tries to explain comet as the "Star" (blog info on 12/23/2007)
http://www.sciencemusings.com/2007/12/star-of-bethlehem.html

another

http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2007/12/25/news0558.htm

Mark Kidger of the European Space Agency (as did I ) that while a Triple Conjuction in 7BC was good (an forthcoming omen), the conjunction of 2 BC was a possibly better or best fit.

Going back in time, with my Imac Macintosh computer and Starry Night Pro software, I simulated this conjunction. There it was in 2BC. I concluded that it was this conjunction after looking at a host of other possibilities.

But lately Kidger and others have surmised that this date may have been too late for the "Star". So that led to something in between.

Now the suggestion turned to a possibility of a nova star in 5 BC. This is in the realm of one of my ten possibilities.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-te.md.christmas25dec25,0,822279.story?coll=bal_tab01_layout

Astronomers are still looking for this Nova that the Chinese might have noted and that might have been a good candidate.

Happy holidays!