The Universe Archives

March 27, 2026March 27, 2026

The Night Sky Is in Danger

Five months ago, we reported that a California company called Reflect Orbital planned to place 4,000 solar mirrors in a sun-synchronous orbit to reflect sunlight into Earth’s twilight areas. They claimed it would extend the hours of solar energy production, allow people to work later, improve safety, and boost crop growth. They planned to test the concept in April 2026. (You can find that posting HERE.) Now, space.com reports that they want to place 50,000 orbiting mirrors that are three times larger than the original plan. Are we facing the end of the night sky?

Adding to the Reflect Orbital proposal, in January, Elon Musk’s SpaceX announced plans to launch one million power-hungry data centers into space, where they can utilize solar energy. The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) must approve these plans, which they appear to be fast-tracking. Astronomers worldwide are alarmed.

Robert Massey, deputy director of the Royal British Astronomical Society (RAS), objected that these proposals are “absolutely the destruction of a central part of human heritage.” He said, “It would absolutely transform our view of the sky.” RAS and many other research organizations are filing objections with the FCC.

According to Massey, the night sky would be three times brighter because of Reflect Orbital’s sun-reflecting mirrors, and dark-sky sanctuaries where astronomers place their telescopes would be lost. The SpaceX data centers would not be as bright as the mirrors but would still be visible to the naked eye. Astrophysicist Noelia Noel at the UK’s University of Surrey said, “While innovation in satellite technology brings clear societal benefits, scaling to hundreds or even millions of bright objects—or deliberately illuminating the Earth from orbit—risks fundamentally altering the night sky. This would have profound consequences not only for astronomy but also for ecosystems, our cultural heritage, and our collective relationship with the cosmos.”

When the psalmist David admired the night sky, he had no satellites or solar reflectors to get in the way as he wrote, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day, they pour forth speech; night after night, they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.” (Psalms 19:1-4) I pray that we will always be able to be in awe of the night sky and see the message of God’s glory it conveys.

Reference: space.com

March 16, 2026March 15, 2026

Water Is Unlike Any Other Substance

My astronomy students were always amazed to learn the basic physics fact that water exists in 22 different forms throughout the solar system, and that water is unlike any other substance on planet Earth. A simple example of this is to consider why a lake freezes, with ice on top and liquid water underneath. When most substances cool, they become denser, but at 4 degrees Celsius, water starts to violate that rule and becomes less dense.

Every elementary student knows that water can exist as vapor, liquid, or solid (ice). On Earth, water boils at 100 degrees C when the air pressure is 100 kilopascals. (A Pascal is 1 newton per square meter, and there are roughly 4.45 Newtons in a pound). At the same air pressure, water freezes at 0 degrees C. If you drop the air pressure to 100 Pascals, ice turns into water vapor, skipping the liquid phase altogether. One more point of interest to astronomers is that if the pressure is extreme–over 100 gigapascals–water will exist as ice regardless of the temperature.

As space probes visit other planets and their moons, they measure temperatures. Not only do the temperatures tell us about these bodies, but the shapes of ice crystals on them can tell us about the conditions there. Natural water ice crystals on Earth are hexagonal, but since water is unlike any other substance, scientists in the lab have forced ice crystals to take six different shapes. Depending on the temperature and pressure, they can be cubic, tetragonal, orthorhombic, rhombohedral, and monoclinic.

It has been said that the more we know about the creation, the closer we get to the creator. Because water is unlike any other substance, its structure allows a lake to freeze on the surface while life continues under the ice. The presence of water on other planets and their moons throughout the solar system enables the clockwork precision that allows Earth to endure for centuries with great stability. We learn about all of this through the facts of science discovered by human minds. Genesis 1:1 not only tells us that there was a beginning to time, space, and matter/energy, but we now know that the “heavens” includes God’s miracle glue that holds it all together–water.

Reference: March 2026 issue of Scientific American (pages 12-13)

March 3, 2026March 2, 2026

Hubble Constant and Gravitational Waves

For years, many scientists were reluctant to accept that the universe had a beginning. Looking through a telescope in the 1920s, Edwin Hubble observed that other galaxies were moving away from us. Going back in time, this suggests that at some point, they were much closer together. If we go far enough back, all matter and energy in the universe would have started from a single point called a singularity. For years, many scientists dismissed this idea, and Fred Hoyle mockingly named it the “big bang.” This leads us to the Hubble constant and gravitational waves, but I am getting ahead of the story.

In 1964, Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson accidentally discovered the Cosmic Microwave Background radiation (CMBR or CMB), which is leftover from the cosmic creation event (aka “big bang”). The CMB scientifically proved that the universe had a beginning. Further evidence in the 21st century made it impossible to deny that the universe had an origin. Since 1998, science has shown that the universe’s rate of expansion is accelerating. They hypothesize a mysterious force called “dark energy” to explain this acceleration, even though they have never detected this mysterious force.

To measure how fast the universe is expanding, scientists look for what they call the Hubble constant. They have two methods for measuring it: one involves using supernovae, and the other is based on physics principles within the standard model of cosmology. Explaining these methods is beyond the scope of this discussion, but the key issue is that they produce different results. This discrepancy is known as the “Hubble tension.” This leads us to a connection between the Hubble constant and gravitational waves.

In a March 2026 research paper, scientists from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the University of Chicago have proposed a third way to measure the Hubble constant using gravitational waves. Albert Einstein’s 1915 theory of general relativity predicted gravitational waves, but they remained undetected for a hundred years. Then, in 2015, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) in the United States detected a gravitational wave for the first time. Since then, with international collaboration, more detections have followed.

Gravitational waves are produced by the collision and merging of black holes or neutron stars. The new theory suggests that by measuring the speed at which these collisions are moving away from us, it may be possible to determine the Hubble constant more precisely. Achieving this will require more sensitive gravitational wave detectors than the current ones. According to Daniel Holz at the University of Chicago, this could help us “learn more about the age and composition of the universe.”

The Hubble constant and gravitational waves give us new insights into creation. Ever since science was compelled to accept that the universe had a beginning, we have learned more about the power and wisdom of the Creator. The more we discover, the more we realize we can know there is a God through what He has made (Romans 1:20).

Reference: space.com

February 26, 2026February 23, 2026

The Reason for a Multiverse Hypothesis

Science fiction writers love multiverses, and so do many scientists. In science fiction stories, characters step through a portal and emerge in a parallel or inverted world. In the minds of some physicists, multiple universes exist in what is known as the multiverse hypothesis. According to that hypothesis, an almost infinite number of universes exist, each with radically different physical laws and properties. There is no evidence for this, and it is impossible to prove or falsify. So, what is the reason for a multiverse hypothesis?

Agnostic scientists who theorize a multiverse do so not because of evidence but because they cannot explain the apparent fine-tuning of the universe. Why are the particle masses and force strengths in our universe perfectly fine-tuned for us to be here? Slight changes in any of those factors would make it impossible for life to exist and likely for a universe with stars and planets to form.

Speculation about “bubble universes” in a frothing multiverse is pure science fiction at present, so what about another option? Some have proposed an idea based on quantum mechanics. This theory of particle physics states that particles can exist in a “superposition” of possible states until someone measures the particle’s position, at which point it collapses into a single state. It’s difficult to see how this could explain alternate universes, since quantum theory deals with the very small, not entire universes. That brings us back to the reason for a multiverse hypothesis. But, wait! Isn’t there another possible explanation for the fine-tuning of our universe?

Yes, there is another possible explanation for the astonishingly fine-tuned parameters of our cosmos. However, it is one that many stubbornly refuse to accept, or even consider. What about the possibility that the universe was designed by an infinite Intelligence that exists outside of time and space? Isn’t that a more reasonable explanation for the precise design that makes our existence possible?

Quantum fluctuations can’t explain it. Even an infinite number of universes could not explain how we happen to be lucky enough to live in a universe with the right combination of all the exact factors needed for life. Luck and chance are not scientific explanations. Even if there were an almost infinite number of universes, there would still need to be an explanation of how they originated. The design we observe in the cosmos can best be explained by a Designer. Isn’t the only reason for a multiverse hypothesis the desire of skeptics to avoid the most obvious and logical explanation?

Reference: Science News magazine for February 2026, pages 62-63, and sciencenews.org

February 24, 2026February 22, 2026

Irresponsible Comments About Dark Matter

We are seeing some irresponsible comments about dark matter in both religious and secular articles. The fact is that dark matter is a designed feature of the cosmos and demonstrates the Creator’s wisdom.

The story of dark matter begins nearly 100 years ago when a Swiss astronomer named Fritz Zwicky observed that the Coma Cluster of galaxies contained galaxies moving so fast that they should have flown apart. About 40 years later, American astronomer Vera Rubin noticed that stars along the edges of spiral galaxies were moving so fast that centrifugal force should have sent them flying into intergalactic space. In recent years, astronomers have observed gravitational lensing—the bending of light by gravity—in regions of space without visible matter. These facts point to the presence of unseen or dark matter.

Despite these irresponsible comments about dark matter, it is not where hell is located. It is not a product of celestial evolution and will not destroy the Earth, at least not in the next 1000 years. It is simply a designed feature that allows us to live on this planet in the solar system within this galaxy.

What would the universe look like if dark matter did not exist? Galaxies would need to be much larger to prevent them from collapsing into their centers due to gravity. If you visit NASA’s daily website apod.nasa.gov, you will see that space is full of galaxies. That would not be possible without dark matter.

Psalms 19:1 finds David looking at the sky, unobstructed by modern lights, and stating, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day, they pour forth speech; night after night, they reveal knowledge.” That was true in the clear skies David could observe, and it remains true today as astronomers use modern telescopes to see God’s wisdom displayed in the heavens.

Reference: Wikipedia.org

February 16, 2026February 11, 2026

Milankovitch Cycles and Life on Earth

It should come as no surprise that the amount of sunlight reaching our planet influences our climate. Serbian mathematician and astronomer Milutin Milankovitch theorized that fluctuations in Earth’s climate are caused by changes in the amount of sunlight the planet receives, and that these changes follow specific cycles. Milankovitch calculated these cycles over the last 600,000 years and suggested they are responsible for ice ages and subsequent warmer interglacial periods. Geologists examining sediment layers in areas that were once ancient ocean beds confirmed the existence of Milankovitch cycles.

The amount of sunlight reaching Earth depends on three parameters that change over long time scales: the tilt of Earth’s axis, the eccentricity of its orbit, and the precession (wobble) of its axis. Because of the tilt of Earth’s axis, we experience seasons. Earth’s orbit is nearly circular but slightly elliptical, so its distance from the Sun varies. The precession of Earth’s axis is a slight wobble over time, similar to the wobbling of a spinning top.

Earth’s orbit is more circular than those of any other planet in our solar system. Because of this, the length of our seasons is approximately equal, but over long periods, these can change. The tilt of our planet’s axis is 23.4°, but it has varied in past ages from 22.1° to 24.5°. The precession of Earth’s axis also shifts over extended timescales. All three factors influence Earth’s climate because they alter the amount of sunlight reaching its surface.

The climate changes driven by these three factors are known as Milankovitch Cycles. The mathematician/astronomer calculated these cycles, and geologists have confirmed his calculations through examination of sediment layers from ancient ocean beds. The last Ice Age occurred about 20,000 years ago, when woolly mammoths roamed on ice sheets covering much of North America, Europe, and Asia. Over the past 10,000 years, the climate has remained remarkably stable, enabling the development of advanced civilizations.

As scientists study exoplanets beyond our solar system, they seek to determine their Milankovitch cycles because these cycles are another critical factor in assessing whether a planet can support advanced life. Mars has Milankovitch cycles that are far more extreme than Earth’s, which limits its potential to sustain life. Without the stabilizing influence of our relatively large Moon, Earth’s axis could oscillate up to 30°, leading to severe climate fluctuations. The more we learn about our unique planet, the more evident it becomes that God has finely tuned it to meet all our needs.

Reference: space.com

February 3, 2026January 31, 2026

Habitable Worlds Observatory

In a quest to detect life on a planet outside of our solar system, NASA has awarded three-year contracts to seven different companies to address the engineering challenges of a new precision space telescope. Since 2022, the James Webb Space Telescope has been capturing images of the universe in infrared light. Prior to that, the Hubble Space Telescope provided us with a deeper understanding of the secrets of space in the visible-light spectrum. The Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) is designed to pursue a different goal.

The HWO will be NASA’s most powerful space telescope, aiming to find signs of life in the universe. It will analyze light passing through the atmospheres of distant planets orbiting stars hundreds or even thousands of light-years away. Doing this will require a coronagraph thousands of times more powerful than any built before. A coronagraph is an instrument that blocks out the light from the Sun or other stars to reveal the faint atmospheres of exoplanets. It must also be repairable in space if any stray micrometeoroids impact its surface. The optical system must be stable within the width of a single atom. The precision required for the Habitable Worlds Observatory telescope surpasses any current technology.

This telescope must be far more advanced than the Webb Space Telescope, and you may recall the challenges and costs associated with that project. The goal is to have the Habitable Worlds Observatory ready for launch by the late 2030s or early 2040s. Jared Isaacman, the NASA administrator, stated that this is “exactly the kind of bold, forward-leaning science that only NASA can undertake.”

If the project succeeds in demonstrating that life could potentially exist on a planet outside our solar system, what then? If the planet is thousands of light-years away, we would be observing what it was like thousands of years ago. It will also take that long for us to beam a message to it, and if there are intelligent beings there, it will take an equal amount of time for them to respond. Traveling to such a planet would take humans many times longer, since it’s impossible to travel faster than a small fraction of light speed. Furthermore, even if we see signs that life could exist on a distant planet, we still won’t know for sure if life actually does.

One thing we can be certain of is that the project will take a lot of time and cost a lot of money. However, Isaacman says, “We intend to move with urgency.” In other words, there is an “urgent” desire to find out if there is life or any sentient beings beyond our planet. The truth is, there is a Being out there who has communicated with us, and He has even come to our planet to show us how to live and to redeem us from our sins. Perhaps the greatest urgency is for us to communicate with and come into a right relationship with Him.

References: space.com and youtube.com

November 21, 2025November 20, 2025

Evidence for the Existence of a Creator in the Big Bang

Cosmology offers compelling evidence for the existence of a creator God. Many people in both religious and skeptical communities see the Big Bang theory as a threat to the credibility of the Genesis account and the existence of God. However, this is unfortunate because the Big Bang theory actually aligns with the Genesis account and presents a cause of creation that skeptics cannot explain.

Technology has confirmed the Big Bang. The Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) provides the oldest record of the universe’s temperature and density from the very beginning. The latest CMB data show that the universe began with a hot Big Bang. Data from the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe verify that time started at the Big Bang.

The words of Genesis 1:1 fully correspond to this data. The first word in the Bible is “reshith,” meaning an absolute starting point. The next word refers to God, followed by “bara,” a term used exclusively for acts only God can perform. Then, we see the word is “shamayim,” meaning “heaved-up things.” The rapid expansion of the universe aligns perfectly with this wording.

Further study of the biblical record reveals the ongoing battle between good and evil and God’s creation of humans through whom that battle occurs. (See Job 1 and 2.) Skeptics cannot explain why humans exist. The greatest failure of atheism is that it offers no reason for the existence of the cosmos or human life. When science and religion conflict, it often indicates either poor science, poor religion, or both. Historically, this has been the case with the Big Bang theory, but as science progresses and people deepen their understanding of what the Bible truly teaches, we see that both science and Scripture provide strong evidence for the existence of a Creator.

Reference: American Scientist, November/December 2025, pages 353 -359.

October 31, 2025October 28, 2025

Earth Needs Jupiter

Jupiter is by far the largest planet in the solar system. Its mass is 2.5 times greater than the combined mass of all other planets in the solar system. It divides the planets of the inner solar system (Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars) from the outer planets (Saturn, Uranus, Neptune). We have previously mentioned that the gravity created by Jupiter’s mass acts as a shield to protect our planet from comets coming from outside the solar system. Additionally, Jupiter influences Earth’s climate cycle. More than that, Earth needs Jupiter for its very existence.

As the solar system was formed, Jupiter’s massive gravity prevented gas and dust in the inner solar system from being pulled into the Sun. These materials coalesced into the inner planets, including Earth. As the planets formed, Jupiter’s gravity helped stabilize the orbits. A recent study co-led by Andre Izidoro of Rice University in Houston demonstrated that Jupiter shaped the structure of the solar system. Earth needs Jupiter today, just as it needed it at the beginning.

According to Izidoro, “Jupiter didn’t just become the biggest planet—it set the architecture for the whole inner solar system. Without it, we might not have Earth as we know it.” As gas and dust swirled around the newly formed Sun, Jupiter’s massive gravity created ripples that formed rings of material which clumped together by gravity to form the inner planets. Earth needs Jupiter because, without it, the material that formed the planet would have spiraled into the Sun.

Genesis 1:1 tells us, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the Earth,” but it doesn’t specify the process God used or how long it took. If the Bible included every detail, it would be an enormous book. But the Bible is not a science book, and scientists are still exploring the processes God used in creation. It is fascinating to consider how complex the creation process must have been, yet the first verse of the Bible contains the essential facts. There was a beginning. God did it. The creation of a functioning universe, a solar system, and a planet for human habitation is summarized in five Hebrew words—“reshith elohim bara shamayim erets.”

References: space.com and science.org

October 20, 2025October 20, 2025

Precisely Nothing – Is It Something?

What is “precisely nothing?” Theoretical physicist Lawrence Krauss used that phrase in the preface of his 2012 New York Times best-selling book titled A Universe from Nothing. Krass at that time was a professor at Arizona State University and head of the Origins Project there. He later lost that position due to “moral failure,” and is now an anti-theist blogger. An anti-theist is more than an atheist. He does not believe in God, but also actively opposes faith in a creator. Like other anti-theists, he believes that faith in God is not just wrong, but destructive to society.

On what did Krauss base his statement that there was “remarkable new support for the idea that our universe arose from precisely nothing?” Krauss suggests that quantum gravity fluctuations could allow for “the creation, albeit perhaps momentarily, of space itself where none existed before.” Furthermore, “small-density fluctuations in empty space due to the rules of quantum mechanics will later be responsible for all the structures we observe in the universe today. So we, and everything we see, result out of quantum fluctuations in what is essentially nothingness…” He further writes that the universe arose through “a process whereby the energy of empty space (nothing) gets converted into the energy of something.”

Is what Krauss calls “precisely nothing” actually nothing? You may have the same feeling that I have that someone is trying to fool you into believing nonsense. When he writes that “getting something from nothing is not a problem,” I have trouble believing him. Perhaps I am simple-minded, but I prefer a simple explanation of why there is something instead of nothing. It’s explained in a video called a “Proof of God in 3 Minutes.” I encourage you to watch it by clicking HERE.