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With the arrival of December, night sky column writers have been known to reach for the hoary old trope of discussing the nature of the Star of Bethlehem. Illustrious astronomers like Kepler, who thought it might be a supernova, have joined this debate, and nearly every astronomical phenomenon, from spectacular comets to speculative alien visits, have been suggested as an explanation for the true star.
One of the darkest possibilities is a series of conjunctions between Jupiter and Saturn; the planets approached the sky three times in the year 7 BC. It might be harder to imagine on a Christmas card than a beautiful comet or bright nova, but at least we know it happened. I say this because
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