Lost in space!

Two movies, "Armageddon” and “Deep Impact” which were released in 1998 both told highly improbable tales of Earth being hit by a rogue asteroid. They painted a picture of our planet residing in a very dangerous and unstable galactic neighborhood. The truth appears to be very different… astronomers in the United Kingdom studying the Tau Ceti “solar system” have discovered that it contains ten times as much material in the form of asteroids and comets as does our own solar system. 

 

Their discovery, published a few years ago, by the Royal Astronomical Society, suggests that even though Tau Ceti is the nearest Sun-like star to Earth, (only 12 light years away and visible without a telescope) any planets that may orbit it would not support life as we know it due to the inevitably large number of devastating collisions. It also suggests that the tranquil space environment around our unique planet may be more unusual than previously realized. 

 

There are more than ten times the number of comets and asteroids in the Tau Ceti system than there is in ours. Astronomers don’t know yet if there are any planets orbiting this near-by sun, but if there are, it is likely that they will experience constant bombardment from asteroids, meteors and space debris. This discovery means that scientists are going to have to rethink where and how they look for life outside our Solar System.

The Bible tells us that God specifically created this planet, either at the time of the creation of the universe or possibly sometime after its establishment, as a dwelling place for His ultimate creation… human-kind…. God is not a result of the creation event; the creation event is the result of God!

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1 

 

IN THE beginning God (prepared, formed, fashioned, and) created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1 Amplified Bible

By faith we understand that the worlds [during the successive ages] were framed (fashioned, put in order, and equipped for their intended purpose) by the word of God, so that what we see was not made out of things which are visible. Hebrews 11:3 Amplified Bible

The use of the Hebrew words “heavens”  (shaw-mah'-yim) and “worlds”(eh'-rets) in these verses apply to the sky and stars visible from earth, and our solar system, suggesting the possibility that our tiny part of the universe was created as a “special” and separate creation. God’s question to Job would also appear to allow for this possibility. “Where was thou when I (the Lord) laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if thou hast understanding.” Job 38:4   As “Our” solar system continues to show its unique character, skeptical scientists now regularly talk about the theoretical improbability of life existing elsewhere.  

The fact that our planet is relatively free from intergalactic impact zones has long intrigued the scientific community. Our very near neighbor, the moon, is literally "pock-marked" with millions of impact zones. The most recent recorded impact occurred on September 11, 2013, it was the largest impact flash ever see. The giant planets of the outer solar system also "absorb" many of the asteroids, meteors and other space debris that might otherwise wipe us out. Recently Jupiter took "one for the team". This apparently self-sacrificing galactic role has been observed on Jupiter 4 times in the last 20 years. 

Our closest planetary neighbor, Mars, also carries at least 635,000 impact craters more than 1 kilometer wide; there are less than 200 on earth, and many scientists do not agree with that total, suggesting that perhaps half of them are geological features caused by other events. Even the much loved theory of an asteroid wiping out the dinosaurs is now being re-examined… massive, planet-wide volcanic activity is gaining favor at present… maybe the day will come when someone will suggest a monumental flood. 

It should come as no surprise that the abode of humanity is protected from intergalactic calamity, and that our home was specifically created for us. No only did He create it, but He sustains it with the power of His Word.

 

You remain faithful in every generation, and the earth you created will keep standing firm. Psalm 119:90

Your faithfulness is from generation to generation; You have established the earth, and it stands fast.  All [the whole universe] are Your servants; therefore they continue this day according to Your ordinances.  Psalm 119:90-91 Amplified Bible

For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. Colossians 1:16-17 NKJV

Regardless of how and when our celestial home arrived in its present location, one thing is for sure…. We are not “Lost in Space”.

Thus says God the Lord, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it, and spirit to those who walk on it. Isaiah 42:5

  Republished and updated from May 2012