According to Biblical accounts, 2,000 years ago something appeared in the sky which led a group of wise men to Jerusalem to see the birth of the new king of the Jews.
But what was this bright light in the heavens? Let’s take a look at some of the prevailing theories. ;
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Comets
Comets have been in the news quite a bit lately, what with the landing of the Rosetta mission on a moving comet. In case you haven’t heard by now, a comet is basically a big ball of dirt and ice flying through our solar system. They have really really long orbits around the sun, but like all orbiting bodies, they travel in predictable patterns.
As comets near the sun, they start to melt, releasing a tail of dust and gas that stretches out a pretty long way, sometimes hundreds of miles. Comets can remain visible in the skies for several weeks.
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