For over 25 years, the world has marvelled at the images and insights provided by the Hubble Space Telescope. Its discoveries have literally changed our understanding of the cosmos and the origins of the Universe. In 2022, Hubble’s successor, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) sent back its first images and once again has humbled our knowledge and expectations of what resides in the seemingly infinite darkness of space and time. If Hubble’s legacy is anything to go by, Webb promises to unlock many more secrets during its lifetime.

Around the time of Jesus’s birth, there was a conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in Aries, and Halley’s comet was visible in the sky around 11 BC. Whilst neither of the dates align perfectly to history, these remain the most likely culprits.