The Fascinating Universe
Have you considered the great works that are displayed in the heavens and the depths of the heavens? The miraculous planets and stars that are set suspended in space in their perfect format? How spectacular the order of maintenance is? What principle can maintain such a vast array of solar systems and galaxies with width and depth beyond the imagination of man?
It was once the theory of astronomers that the galaxies with their might of gravity would eventually collide and the universe would end but with the understanding of light and the access of telescopes with which man can observe deeper into space came the discovery of an energy so powerful, that it defied the might of the galaxy’s gravity. This energy was shifting the galaxies further away from each other. Scientists in their limited understanding of this energy called it dark energy. They define it as “a hypothetical form of energy that exerts a negative, repulsive pressure, behaving like the opposite of gravity.”[1] How remarkable is this? What awesome power is this that it defies the might of gravity?
Further to this, in the 1950s and 60s astronomers began to measure the rotation of spiral galaxies. They expected the stars at the galaxy’s center to move faster than those at the edge. Yet what they discovered was that the stars at the edge of the galaxy had the same rotational velocity as those near the center. Astronomers believe that another matter besides solid matter is responsible for this effect and they called it dark matter. One of their theories is that
“[d]ark matter is nonluminous and cannot be seen directly. Thought to make up 27% of matter in the universe, its nature is not well understood. Unlike normal matter, it does not absorb, reflect, or emit light, making it
difficult to detect.”[2]
Astronomers also describe dark matter as
“…a web-like material interwoven with the regular visible matter. In some places, the dark matter coalesced into lumps. In other places, it stretched out to form long, stringy filaments upon which galaxies appear entangled, like insects caught in spider silk…dark matter could be everywhere, binding the universe together like some sort of invisible connective tissue.”[3]
How awesome is this dark matter, with its might of gravitational pull, keeping the stars within the galaxies in harmony, thereby maintaining the perfect order of the galaxies!
Added to this, it is said that the sun is a million times larger than the earth which means that its mass is far greater than the earth's and its gravitational pull is very strong. The combination of the sun’s powerful gravity and its magnetic force keeps the inner and outer planets in orbit of the sun. How impressive is this mechanism!
Contributing to more than sustaining the planets in orbit, the sun also produces a constant supply of energy. A planet like the earth, which is perfectly positioned within the orbit of the sun, receives the right amount of energy to sustain life.
[1] (Swinburne University of Technology,1999).
[2] (University of California – Riverside, 2020)
[3] (Harris & Freudenrich, 2007)