Distances to the Stars?
ctf • June 28, 2012
Dr. J,
How is distance to stars and other planets determined? I know it is measured in light-years, but how is that determined? If radar or sonar or anything similar were used, it would take longer than we would live to bounce back to us. Could those stars and planets actually be closer than we thought? God bless you, Dennis in OK
The stars are surely thousands of light years away, and the other galaxies even billions away. There’s no threat to Biblical authority on that, whether on age of the earth or Big Bang Theory or whatever. Only the closest stars can be accurately measured in their distances from Earth. We do this by “trigonometric parallax.” We take a look at where in the sky a star appears from the vantage point of Earth … then we wait half a year until Earth is on the other side of the Sun (a difference of nearly 200 million miles) and then we take a look at it again. The more different its location seems, compared to the relatively fixed apparent location of the more distant stars … then the closer it is to us.
However, parallax can only use a gigantic triangle to measure the distance of stars no farther than 4.5 light years away. Most are much further than that. The rest are figured using “stellar evolution” theory to predict the size and brightness of a star … then to look at how much smaller and dimmer it looks from here … to gauge how far away it must be. True, this is flawed. Seyfert-variable stars are used to gauge the distance of even stars in other galaxies. These and super-nova explosions are more reliable. But the distances really are as great as the textbooks say. The “main sequence” on the H-R Diagram, however (all put together from Big Bang Theory and Stellar Evolution Theory), is a non-proven yet taught-as-fact concept. I hope this helps. Say “hi” from all of us at Creation Truth Foundation to all of the brothers and sisters on the campus and at the church!
Sincerely yours, Dr Jackson
Here we are again, just a few days before Christmas. It seems the old adage, “The older you get the faster time flies,” is so true. There is not a year that passes when we look back and think, “Wow, this year took forever!” History is passing by and we look forward to the new year as we continue to focus on our eternal destiny. Our theme this year has been, HISTORY & DESTINY. Christmas is a great time to reflect on these two realities. Everyone has “Christmas history”, as I term it - those moments from past Christmases that are remembered year after year. Maybe it’s a great family gathering or Christmas activity that has become a beloved tradition. All of those moments are formed by previous years’ experiences. Sometimes this season can be tough, as we may have that memory of a loved one that has passed or other difficulties that we may be facing. Christmas history is always impactful, be it good or bad. This makes me reflect on the first Christmas. For Mary and Joseph, there was no previous history like that moment, per se. Yet, the history of the prior four thousand years had been preparing for the manger, the moment in history that our Savior would be born and begin Christmas history for all of us. Whether it is acknowledged or not, without Jesus’ birth in history, none of this season happens. Each and every Christmas our desire is to make those “Christmas history” memories for our family. Our desire is to impact the future of our family, our destiny. Often our efforts fall short or are interrupted by things out of our control. In those moments, so much stress can come from our efforts not going as planned. Sometimes it ends up ruining the whole season, especially if our focus has not been on the simple fact that He was born to bring peace, not stress. Let us not forget that it didn’t start the way Mary and Joseph had planned, with no room in the inn. But the Lord provided a place for them to rest and deliver the baby. Immanuel, God with us, is the bell ringing for all eternity that started that first Christmas. Our eternal destiny hinges on whether we acknowledge who He is everyday, not just in this season. Yet, this season is most assuredly a great time to emphasize His gift of life for all eternity. Our Creator became as one of His image bearers in that stable under imperfect conditions. He joined HISTORY and DESTINY that moment in time. The years of history that prepared the world for the child born that first Christmas would give us hope for all eternity. Jesus is the marker for all history. Because of that moment in time, our life can have peace for eternity through Him. May we all focus on the culmination of HISTORY & DESTINY during our family Christmas celebrations this year. Our history is written but our destiny is hope in Jesus Christ, our Creator and Savior. Blessings this season to you and your family from all of us here at Creation Truth Foundation!