The story of scholars from the east, following the Christmas Star, seeking to find the King of the Jews, has been told countless numbers of times. It is a story filled with awe, wonder, and intrigue, as the scriptures do not give astronomers much information about what the Christmas Star may have been.

As a professor of astronomy, I have spent many hours pondering what the Star of Bethlehem might have been. There are several possibilities: could the Star of Bethlehem have been a comet? A nova? A supernova? Or a ‘line-up’ of bright planets, known in technical terms as a planetary conjunction? Or was the Star of Bethlehem possibly a miracle in its own right, just as the incarnation – the word becoming flesh – is a miracle of miracles?

…for the full article, pick up a copy of the December issue of JOY, which is now on sale nationwide in all leading supermarkets!