Was the star of Bethlehem a real astronomical event?

[CoxRox]

*sigh* No. Explain how proving that the 'star' existed proves that we now know the year of Christ's birth, without reference to the Bible.

Here's an equivalent of your statement, so you can see how stupid it is.

1. I know I was born in 1987 somewhen, on a rainy day.
2. Our records show that it rained on April 4th, 1987.
3. I must have been born on April 4th, 1987.

You are using confirmation bias and your own presuppositions to 'prove' this point. That won't wash. Tell me that you understand why.

Did you watch the film or read the web site account? I don't know if I am guilty of confirmation bias. A rainy day is very common. The specific features of this astonomical alignment CORRESPOND EXACTLY with the 'star' mentioned in the gospels . That doesn't mean that magi really did 'follow' it, or that it really did mean a 'king' had been born. Maybe the writers mixed some truth with fiction. It is corroborative 'evidence' to someone like myself, who DOES believe the gospel accounts. When you couple the star's timing of 3 BC, to the prophecy in the book of Daniel (which was written 400 odd years before Christ) which dated the Messiah's birth to 3 BC ALSO, then you've got some powerful 'evidence' that the Messiah was born right on time as predicted and as signposted in the skies of 3/2 BC.