The Star of Bethlehem … Fact, Fiction, Myth or Miracle
Presenter(s): Ray Johnston
Affiliation(s): Star Dreaming Australia, Astronomical Association of Queensland
Session details: Sunday, 2016-03-27 00:00:00, LT106
Abstract
Did the Star of Bethlehem exist? If so, what was it? Was it a close conjunction of Venus and Jupiter in 2BC? The conjunctions of 2015 and 2016 have raised this speculation again and the presentation will search the biblical and historical records, confusing as they may be, in an endeavour to make some determination. Myriad possibilities have been put forward and comparisons will be made between some of the competing theories.
Biography
Ray is a NACAA veteran and usually presents on non-technical general interest subjects. He has extensive outreach experience, having operated the Great Barrier Reef Observatory on Hamilton Island for 18 years and a portable planetarium through schools in North Queensland. Ray and his wife now live in the Wide Bay area and they continue to travel to many parts of the world visiting observatories and recording indigenous sky stories. Ray has a keen interest in archeo and Aboriginal astronomy and is also an invited cruise lecturer with Cunard and Princess lines.