Who were the three wise men, and why did they follow that star?
Surely, the sceptics say, they are just a fictional embellishment, to give the ‘story’ colour, another layer of meaning? As for the business of the wandering star that comes to a halt above Bethlehem, hasn’t that got to be the stuff of fantasy? The answers to those two questions will, no doubt, surprise many. As will the fact that those supplying the answers are some of the world’s most respected scientists and astronomers. More… • It was originally a get-rich-quick scheme, but A Christmas Carol would inspire generations of seasonal goodwill • Killer cocktails and a visit from Santa’s cat… that’s what I call Christmas! A new BBC documentary reveals that there are those who claim the star was a ‘spectacular’ – an exploding supernova of nuclear proportions. Others believe it was less dramatic, a chance coming together of planets that only the astronomically astute would have noticed. Not only is it unclear when the events occurred, but the source material is limited. The original ref
