According to the New Testament, the guiding light that led the failthful to the birth of baby Jesus was the Star of Bethlehem.
But historians and astronomers alike have argued the star, represented by the sparkly tree topper on your Christmas tree every year, may not be a star at all.
In fact, it’s theorized the "star" may have actually been a combination of three planets or even a nova.
Of course, some insist on holding true to the gospels, believing that the Star of Bethlehem was indeed a star.
Still, one historian, Dr. Donald E. Dossey wrote: "They conjure that, not in 1 A.D., but in the spring of 6 B.C., the planets Mars, Jupiter and Saturn were close together and formed a bright triangle known as Pisces that might have been the Star of Bethlehem."
On the other hand, some hypothesize the star didn’t exist at all.
It’s a common occurrence to mistake planets like Venus for things like stars or even UFOs, particularly because the planet appears as a bright light.
Regardless of what really happened, the debate forges on without much resolution in sight.
(Via Life's Little Mysteries)