Searching for the Star of Bethlehem

O star of wonder, star of light,

Star with royal beauty bright,

Westward leading, still proceeding,

Guide us to thy perfect light.

Today on Far Future Horizons we go in search of the Star of Bethlehem.

Astronomers, theologians, sceptics and believers have pondered the story of Christ’s birth and the star of Bethlehem. 

Over two thousand years ago, a bright star showed three Magi the path to the newborn Jesus. What was that star? Was it a star or was it something else?

In the deepest sense it scarcely matters, for what is most significant about the Star of Bethlehem is not whether it existed or what it was, but what it symbolizes. For those of us who grew up in the Christian tradition it represents a message of hope and the dawning of a new ethical philosophy by which we choose to conduct our lives.

For me personally the story of Jesus' birth and the Adoration of the Magi symbolises hope.

On behalf of all of us here on Far Future Horizons I would like to wish our readers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy Prosperous  New Year.

May We All Find Peace and Prosperity here on our planetary home - The Good Earth.

The Secrets of the Star Disk

Today on Far Future Horizons we present the extraordinary story of how a small metal disc is rewriting the epic saga of how civilization first came to Europe, 3600 years ago.

When grave robbers ransacked a Bronze Age tomb in Germany, they had no idea that they had unearthed the find of a lifetime. But they knew that it was worth selling. It was a small bronze disc of exquisite design. So they contacted the archaeologist Harald Meller, offering to sell it to him for £300,000.

Meller went deep into the criminal underworld and, after a police sting, he got his disc. It depicted the sun, the moon and the stars. This suggested an understanding of the heavens greater than that of the first great civilizations, like Egypt. Could it possibly be real?

The Mystery of Chaco Canyon

 

Today on Far Future Horizons we take another exciting foray into the field of Archaeoastronomy and examine the deep enigmas presented by the massive prehistoric remains found in Chaco Canyon in north-western New Mexico.

This documentary is the summation of 20 years of research. The film reveals that between 850 and 1150 AD, the Chacoan people designed and constructed massive ceremonial buildings in a complex celestial pattern throughout a vast desert region. Aerial and time lapse footage, computer modelling, and interviews with scholars show how the Chacoan culture designed, oriented and located its major buildings in relationship to the sun and moon. Pueblo Indians, descendants of the Chacoan people, regard Chaco as a place where their ancestors lived in a sacred past. Pueblo leaders speak of the significance of Chaco to the Pueblo world today.

Stargazing - A Graphic Guide to the Heavens Part 1

Today on Far Future Horizons we are introducing a new documentary series about Astronomy which is sure to delight both experts and novices alike entitled “Stargazing - A Graphic Guide to the Heavens”.

The Eye of God

The Helix Nebula (NGC 7293) aka "The Eye of God"

Today on Far Future Horizons we present another exciting episode of The Universe: Ancient Mysteries Solved.

In this installment of The Universe: Ancient Mysteries Solved we will examine “The Eye of God” and other strange shapes we encounter in the heavens.

Omens of Doom

Today on Far Future Horizons we present another exciting episode of The Universe: Ancient Mysteries Solved.

This series of documentaries is a spinoff of the acclaimed History Channel documentary series The Universe. Each episode will be taking us on another exciting foray into the exciting field of Archaeoastronomy.

In this installment of The Universe: Ancient Mysteries Solved we will examine the interpretations by ancient peoples of celestial phenomena as bad omens.

The Universe Ancient Mysteries Solved ~ "Heavenly Destruction"

Today on Far Future Horizons we present a tale of two Biblical cities, Sodom and Gomorrah, and how they met their apocalyptic end.

The Universe Ancient Mysteries Solved ~ Pyramids

Today on Far Future Horizons we present the second episode of The Universe Ancient Mysteries Solved.

In this installment of The Universe Ancient Mysteries Solved we will examine the astronomical connections of the Pyramids of Giza .

This series of documentaries is a spinoff of the acclaimed History Channel documentary series The Universe. Each episode will be taking us on another exciting foray into the exciting field of Archaeoastronomy.

The Universe Ancient Mysteries Solved ~ Stonehenge

Today on Far Future Horizons we present the first episode of a series of exciting documentaries titled The Universe ~ Ancient Mysteries Solved.

Carl Sagan’s Cosmos ~ The Backbone of Night

Today on Far Future Horizons we present the seventh episode of Carl Sagan’s highly acclaimed PBS documentary series – Cosmos: The Backbone of Night.

Decoding the Skies

Today on Far Future Horizons we are going to take another foray into the field of Archaeoastronomy and explore how our ancient forbearers decoded the night sky and built the foundations of civilization. Not with the help of ancient astronauts but through their own perseverance and innate intellect.

Our ancestors' relationship with the heavens led to some of humankind's ancient discoveries and greatest creations. The ancient Greeks discovered Earth was round; the Polynesians used the sun and stars to navigate vast oceans in simple canoes; some think amazing structures like Stonehenge were designed to observe the sky. Now, Known Universe examines mankind's first observations of the cosmos to understand how they put us on the path to modern discovery.

Prehistoric Astronomers

Today on Far Future Horizons we explore a controversial theory concerning the Sistine Chapel of prehistory – Lascaux Cave and its astronomical connection.

The Destruction of Sodom and Gommorah

Today on Far Future Horizons we explore one of the greatest mysteries of the Bible the - Destruction of Sodom and Gommorah.

The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is mentioned in chapters eighteen and nineteen of the book of Genesis. Can new discoveries in geology, archaeology, astronomy and climatology provide clues to what may actually have happened?

The Antikythera Star Clock

As I write this many of us today, the world over, will be counting the seconds as Mid Night approaches and a New Year dawns.

Time controls the rhythm of our lives like a Metronome ticking away and measuring the pace and tempo of our existence. From time immemorial we humans have been fascinated with the fundamental nature of time and keeping track of it by watching the rhythmic changes seen in the celestial heavens. 

Today being the first day of 2014 AD we at Far Future Horizons are going to explore the findings of the latest research to investigate the greatest and most surprising discovery made in the field of undersea archaeology with two very interesting documentaries.

In 1900, a group of Greek sponge divers accidentally stumbled on an ancient Roman shipwreck dating from the First Century BC. The wreck produced numerous statues dating back to the 4th century BC, as well as a mysterious object - a lump of calcified stone that contained within it several gearwheels welded together after years under the sea. 

The Antikythera mechanism (Fragment A - front)

The 2,000-year-old object, no bigger than a modern laptop, is now regarded as the world's oldest analog computer, devised to predict solar eclipses and, according to recent findings, calculate the timing of the ancient Olympics.

Following the efforts of an international team of scientists, the mysteries of the Antikythera Mechanism are uncovered, revealing surprising and awe-inspiring details of an object that continues to mystify.