According to the New Testament,King Herod, asked the wise men when the star had appeared, because he was unaware of any such star Astronomers have also been baffled by how King Herod didn't know of such a bright star, and how a star 'in the east' could guide men south But 'in the east' is a literal translation of the Greek phrase en te anatole Thisdescribeswhen a planet that would rise above the eastern horizon just beforethe sun would appear, and then disappear in the morning sky If this was the case, however, the wise men would have been guided by Jupiter wouldn't have arrived until Jesus was eight months old

By Professor David Weintraub For The Conversation

Published: 09:15 EST, 24 December 2014 | Updated: 10:03 EST, 24 December 2014

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Bright stars top Christmas trees in Christian homes around much of the world.

The faithful sing about the Star of Wonder that guided the wise men to a manger in the little town of Bethlehem, where Jesus was born.

They're commemorating the Star of Bethlehem described by the Evangelist Matthew in the New Testament.But is the star's biblical description a pious fiction or does it contain some astronomical truth?

Bright stars top Christmas trees in Christian homes around much of the world (right).But is the star's biblical description a pious fiction or does it contain some astronomical truth? According to one expert, it is

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Astronomy CAN explain the biblical Star of Bethlehem