"Astronomical and historical evidence suggests that the Star of Bethlehem was a comet which was visible in 5 BC, and described in ancient Chinese records. A comet uniquely fits the description in Matthew of a star which newly appeared, travelled slowly through the sky against the star background and 'stood over' Bethlehem. It is proposed that a remarkable sequence of three astronomical events stimulated the journey of the Magi: the triple conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter in 7 BC; the massing of the three planets Saturn, Jupiter and Mars in 6 BC; and finally the appearance in 5 BC of the 'star of Bethlehem', a comet initially in Capricornus."
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Professor Sir Colin Humphreys, FRS, writing in 1991 in the Quarterly Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society:- Humphreys CJ (1991) "The Star of Bethlehem - a Comet in 5BC - and the Date of the Birth of Christ", Q Jl R astr Soc, vol 32, pp 389-407. For free download from https://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1991QJRAS..32..389H as at 25 Sept 2025.
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