Last month, we started a list of "hot astronomy links" for the
net-surfers, and said that we'd continue the list this month. If
I may beg off for another month, let me share with you a
continuation of a story we were telling last year at this time.
January 6th is celebrated in most western churches as the Feast
of the Epiphany, commemorating the arrival of the Magi in
Bethlehem. Matthew's gospel tells us that they were led on their
journey by a "star." Astronomers and other scholars have been
trying to identify the "star" ever since, with theories ranging
from a supernova blast to Halley's Comet. Last year at this
time, I suggested that a series of planetary conjunctions in 7-6
BC would have attracted the attention of Persian astrologers.
Historians have traditionally placed the death of Herod in 4 BC,
and suggest that a 4 year error by the monks who first counted
back to the events surrounding the Nativity (essentially
skipping the rule of Octavian before he became Augustus) would
also place the Nativity in