Texas A&M professor says data makes Star of Bethlehem a reality

Texas A&M law professor Frederick Larson began looking into the astronomical evidence for the star of Bethlehem about 10 years ago.

The results of his efforts make a nice, seasonal video presentation (actually not a powerpoint).

Larson traced the appearance of the star one evening in 2 B.C., during which Jupiter, Venus and the star Regulus aligned in a most unusual way, creating what Larson says is an exceptionally bright star in the night sky.

Of course, someone's gotta poop on the parade, as SMU professor of astronomy John Cotton has called Larson's approach "flawed."

Larson even snagged the web address www.bethlehemstar.net, which has more info.