As a casual astronomer, I've always been intrigued with the multitude of theories regarding the Star of Bethlehem, particularly that the "star" sightings by the Magi were in fact many of the planetary conjunctions taking place around the BC/AD boundary.
I once ran an old astro program to follow the movements of Jupiter, Venus, among other significant objects around that time (adjusting for 2,000 years of precession) yielding views from the Middle East. One specific view from Jerusalem in the pre-dawn hours during mid-September of 3 BC corroborates a predicted conjunction of Jupiter with Regulus (the "King Star") in Leo ("The Lion"):
This epoch would coincide with one of the Jewish Holy Day periods when some have postulated that Christ was born.
Now, the exact date of the Nativity is not critical to my faith (that He came, suffered, died, and rose again *is*), but it makes for interesting discussion...
If you ever have the opportunity, look a little more closely. There were three conjuctions in succession beginning in Leo and culminating in a grand trine in Virgo if I'm not mistaken, certainly something that would have court astronomer/astrologers (such as the magi) sitting up and taking notice. The symbolic meaning is there, the Lion of Judah, King of the Jews, born of a virgin. The festivals fit and the dates can be deduced from the Bible itself to coincide. One might even go so far as to say that the Trinity is symbolized. It's a compelling case.