It's unlikely it was actually a star, since the description of what the Wise men saw and how it directed them could not fit the description of an actual star. More likely it was something similar to the pillar of fire that accompianed the presense of God and the ark of the covenant in the OT.
Just a theory though...
Good theory. And it could be but they said a star... so with modern technology we can today use astronomy software and watch the night sky over there at that time from the comfort of our own home.
And here is an interesting movement of the wandering king star Jupiter with the fixed king star Regulus in the king constellation Leo.
So if there ever was a sign in the sky shouting King this was it.
Also this astronomical event is reminiscent of Jacob's last words to his sons concerning Judah.
Genesis 49 8“Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise;
Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies;
Your father’s children shall bow down before you.
9
Judah is a lion’s whelp;
From the prey, my son, you have gone up.
He bows down, he lies down as a lion;
And as a lion, who shall rouse him?
10
The scepter shall not depart from Judah,
Nor a lawgiver from between his feet,
Until Shiloh comes;
And to Him shall be the obedience of the people.
11
Binding his donkey to the vine,
And his donkey’s colt to the choice vine,
He washed his garments in wine,
And his clothes in the blood of grapes.
12
His eyes are darker than wine,
And his teeth whiter than milk."
Verse 11 is also corroborated by the prophet Zechariah concerning the King of the Jews that is the Messiah or Christ.
Zechariah 9 9“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your King is coming to you;
He is just and having salvation,
Lowly and riding on a donkey,
A colt, the foal of a donkey.
10
I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
And the horse from Jerusalem;
The battle bow shall be cut off.
He shall speak peace to the nations;
His dominion shall be ‘from sea to sea,
And from the River to the ends of the earth.’"
So in closing king Jupiter triple conjuncted or crowned king Regulus in king Leo from September 15 3BC to May 15 2BC.
And if that was not enough to send the wise men packing Jupiter and Venus came into such a close conjunction on June 17 2BC that they shone as brilliant evening star in the Western night sky as seen from the East.
I didn't find an astronomy software animation showing Jupiter over Bethlehem as seen from Jerusalem on December 25 2BC but i can confirm it as i've seen it on Stellarium.
So from all this can you figure out when Jesus was born ?