Ive been searching for a certain story for years now. I read the story in middle school and haven't been able to find it again. It isn't rocket man or kaleidoscope Im sure. The story was about an astronaut who was a priest that went to study a planet that was desroyed. they found it to have been a perfect world. The story ends with him questioning his faith in a sense. That world ending was seen on earth as the North Star. I really hope someone can help, I don't know where else I can go about this.
thanks,
Kelly haste7@aol.com

See the thread "For Anyone With Story Descriptions."

I believe you are talking about A CASE OF CONSCIENCE, by James Blish. The story had its origins in the September, 1953 issue of IF: WORLDS OF SCIENCE FICTION magazine. Later, Blish expanded his short story into an extraordinary novel that was published in 1958, and won the Hugo award for best novel. The novel is, in a word, brilliant, and the most compelling and thought-provoking blend of science fiction and religion that I have ever read. Highly recommended reading for all!

This reply came from Mike Dworetsky by way of rec.arts.sf.written at Google Groups:
This sounds like "The Star" by Arthur C. Clarke, but it wasn't the North Star, it was the Star of Bethlehem. The priest was a Jesuit astrophysicist on an interstellar expedition to explore a supernova remnant.
He questions his faith all right, not "in a sense", but completely.
The story is in several collections, including "The Other Side of the Sky".

The following exchange came by way of rec.arts.books.childrens at Google Groups:

This one is by James Blish: A Case of Conscience, a classic science fiction novel which won the 1959 Hugo Award.
Damian Hassan

Um, while _A Case of Conscience_ kind of fits the description (and is well worth reading), I'm quite sure that it's actually Clarke's "The Star" that's meant. In _A Case of Conscience_, the world is intact when they arrive.
Beth Friedman

Hmm - I read the above as meaning that the priest went to study the planet and its civilisation, and that the planet's subsequent destruction is seen from earth.
Anyway:
The Star, Arthur C. Clarke:
This is a short story, where a team of astronauts, including a jesuit priest, go to explore a supernova. They discover that the supernova had destroyed a civilisation which was at a similar stage in development to earth's (not a perfect civilisation). The crisis of faith arises when the priest realises that this supernova, with its destruction of an entire race, was the source of the Star of Bethlehem. The complete story can be found at: http://www.geocities.com/su_englit/clarke_star.html

A Case of Conscience, James Blish:
This was originally a novella, expanded into a novel. In this, the team of astronauts make contact with an alien race who appear to be ethically perfect, but who are entirely logical, with no concept of faith. In the second part of the novel, one of the Lithian creatures is taken to earth as a child, but grows up to be a rabble-rousing, destabilising influence - the Temptor himself?

SPOILER!

The book ends with a long distance exorcism of the planet Lithia, and its consequent destruction - visible as a new star from earth. Either might be the vaguely remembered original book.
Damian Hassan

Here are two more replies by way of rec.arts.sf.written at Google Groups:

Not Blish's 'A Question of Conscience', was it? The planet in that story was called Lithia, and was populated by a species of intelligent reptiles. Don't know about the north star bit.

Paul

Most probably this is NOT the story you want. But some definite elements of the story you recall do match up with _Sin of Origin_ by John Barnes.
The divergences are quite distinct though. The civilisation on "Randall" is not extinct. The protagonist is a priest and a linguist. The world is not perfect as such, and is driven to chaotic warfare between the three sentient races on Randall (handsnakes, dragons and the third humanoid type race.)
The flare seen on earth is not the destruction of the Randall system, but the safe explosion of the weapons of mass destruction which /might/ have been used to destroy the world...
To reiterate, this is unlikely to be the story you are looking for, but I think I have given enough info to jog your memory, if it /did/ happen to be Barnes's book.

Jussi-Ville Heiskanen

This reply came from Rocambole by way of the Booksleuth Forum at Abebooks:

Lithia's destruction (in 'A Case of Conscience') is only seen by the protagonists through a new speed-of-light-defying telescope, it's not visible from Earth. It's most likely 'The Star' - the supernova that destroyed the perfect civilisation was seen on Earth as the Star of Bethlehem, hence the priestly protagonist's horror. Bet you it's that one.

Another non-Bradbury story which drew a lot of guesses turned out to be "most likely" one by Clarke. This looks like the same case and I should probably add it to the Solved list (especially if we don't hear from kellyhaste again!)

Cori