parent, which both allows the sunlight to reach the ground–supporting life–and also allows us a clear window through which to view the cosmos beyond our home planet. This is just one example of how the conditions that make Earth suitable for complex life are also the same conditions needed for scientific exploration of the Universe. Our location inside the galaxy is another example. We are located inside of a spiral arm about halfway between the black hole in the center, which is dangerous territory, and the outer edge, where there are not enough heavy elements to form planets. Even at this halfway point, the Earth is lucky to be located outside of the spiral arm itself, where star formations and dust would both endanger us and cloud our view. These factors for life within the galaxy also happen to be the best possible position for us to have a clear view out into the great beyond.
“The most incomprehensible thing about the Universe is that it is comprehensible.” —Einstein Another example of this Divine design can be seen in a solar eclipse. Life on Earth is in part dependent on our beautiful moon. Without it, the Earth would not have a stable axes tilt, in which case we would not have the seasons, which would greatly reduce the capacity for diversity of life. During a solar eclipse, the sun, moon, and Earth align in a straight line. The moon moves directly between the Earth and the sun, blocking it out completely. In order for this to happen, the sun and the moon must appear as if they are the same, exact size, which they do–half of one degree. The moon is 1/400th the size of the sun, and the sun is exactly 400 times further away! What makes eclipses amazing is not simply that they are awe-inspiring to watch, it is that because of them we have learned critical information about our sun and our planet. Only during total solar darkness, the sun’s corona, or outermost atmosphere, is visible, allowing scientists can examine the spectrum of the sun. This study has opened a portal to the physics and chemistry of the entire Universe. Eclipses are responsible for many important scientific discoveries, including helium.
In the 4th century BC it was believed that the Sun, our solar system, and the stars rotated around the Earth.
In 1968 the world watched as the astronauts from Apollo 8 viewed the earth from space for the first time.
During the total eclipse of May 29, 1919, Einstein’s Theory of Relativity was proven. The Earth went from the center of the Universe to no preferred position, then from unique within the cosmos to just one of an abundance of habitable planets, and now to a world not only perfectly suited for life but destined for scientific exploration. Regardless of whether we are one or one of many, I see the wonder, the magnificence, and the purpose of life on Earth. I don’t need scientific proof for the existence of meaning and intelligent design in the Universe or to know that our home, the Earth, is a special place. Even Copernicus would be misunderstood if one said he believed his discovery made the Earth unimportant or took God out of the equation. In fact, he once stated:
In 1990 Voyager 1 captured an image of Earth from the edge of our solar system.
“The mechanism of the Universe wrought for us by a supremely good and orderly creator... the system the best and most orderly artist of all formed for our sake.” - Nicholas Copernicus For early scientists such as Galileo and Newton, God was not a hypothesis, it was their assumption. Today most scientists have lost their theological roots, but it is returning full circle.
In the cosmic sea of possibilities, the question remains: pale blue dot, or not?
During the total eclipse of May 29, 1919, Einstein’s Theory of Relativity was proven.
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