Finding God in the Eclipse Across America
On Monday August 21, 2017 millions of Americans, from Oregon to South Carolina, will have the rare opportunity to view one of the most spectacular wonders in the natural world—a total solar eclipse. As the moon passes in front of the sun, the midday sky will darken. Then, at the moment of totality—when the earth, moon and sun are perfectly aligned—the sun’s outer rim (the corona) will light up the sky.
How unique is this phenomenon? The last time a total eclipse of the sun crossed the United States, from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean, was June 8, 1918.
An eclipse is a mysteriously beautiful display of God’s design and purpose in the universe. It is the result of the precise sizes and positioning of our sun and moon. If either celestial body was slightly larger or smaller, or nearer or father away, no perfect eclipse would be possible. Earth is the only planet in the solar system where such eclipses occur. Learn more in this month’s featured video
This extraordinary sun/moon/earth relationship has enabled scientists to study our star’s corona and, in the process, make important discoveries about the physics and chemistry of the universe. It is also crucial for another reason. The size of the sun and its distance from earth ensure our temperate climate, oxygen-rich atmosphere and liquid water. A slightly larger, closer or more distant star would render life on earth impossible. Similarly, the specific gravitational pull of our moon (again, determined by its ideal size and distance from earth) regulates our climate by stabilizing the planet’s axial tilt and circulating the warm and cold waters of the oceans.
To create solar eclipses—and a planet that can sustain human beings to observe them—everything has to be “just right.” This stunning level of intelligent design is also evident in the finely tuned laws of nature that govern the entire universe. Earth, the moon, the sun and their exquisite movements through space are not the products of random interactions between matter and energy. Instead, they are masterpieces of a Creator who fashioned a world ideally suited for life and scientific discovery.
Remember that on August 21.
