Astronomers have discovered three galaxies that are perfectly aligned from the viewpoint of earth. It is the first time scientists have found such an anomaly, and they hope that their unusual alignment may provide further insight into our understanding of the heavens. The galaxies are around 2 billion, 7 billion and 11 billion light years distant from earth. The light from the furthest galaxies is being distorted by the gravity of the closest galaxy, forming two concentric rings of light around the first galaxy. These rings allow astronomers to make calculations on the dark matter, which they believe makes up most of the matter in the universe. Dark matter neither creates or reflects light, and can only be detected through its gravitational force on light passing near it. Astronomers believe that the forces of dark matter and dark energy are causing the universe to expand, and are largely responsible for creating the vast superstructures of galaxies we see around us today.

Quote: ""Having three objects almost perfectly aligned along the line of sight is an extremely rare event," Tommaso Treu, an astrophysicist at the University of California, Santa Barbara, said at the press briefing. "It's more unlikely than winning two consecutive bets in a single number of roulette."

Just a few months ago I commented on another recent astronomical discovery which had been made. Astronomers have discovered that most spiral galaxies in our universe are rotating clockwise from the viewpoint of earth. To explain this bizarre phenomenon, astronomers suggested that either some unknown force is acting on these galaxies, or else the universe is lop-sided. The big bang theory suggests that the universe should be completely uniform throughout and have no edge. But this is not what we are seeing. There is a third explanation, that the Earth is somewhere near the centre of our universe and all these galaxies are rotating around us in a clockwise fashion. I believe the discovery of three galaxies perfectly aligned may not be due to the effects of dark matter, but rather is testament to a Creator God Who upholds all things by the Word of His power (Hebrews 1:3). The books of Job, Psalms and Isaiah give us further insight into the power of our God.

Job 38:31-33
Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion? Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons? Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth?

Isaiah 48:13
Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together.

The Lord once challenged Abraham to number the stars, and if he could, he would be able to number the descendants God had promised to give him (Genesis 15:5). Four thousand years later, man is no closer to accomplishing that feat. We are finding it difficult to even number the galaxies, which can contain up to a hundred billion stars each, let alone number the stars. And yet our God has not only numbered them, but has a name for every one (Psalm 147:4). Three thousand years ago it was written in the Bible that the Lord stretched out the heavens (Isaiah 42:5), and today men are only beginning to understand that truth. Astronomers are willing to believe in the existence of a substance which cannot be seen, yet many are unwilling to believe in a God which has revealed Himself to mankind. The God that created the heavens also created you. He came into this world two thousand years ago, and gave His life on the cross for you. Jesus Christ died for your sins, so that you might have a relationship with your Creator. Trust in Him for salvation today.

Isaiah 42:5-7
Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein: I the LORD have called thee (Jesus Christ) in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.

Source National Geographic

Following on from yesterday's news about asteroid 2007 XB23, which missed earth a mere 65,000 miles, astronomers have revealed today that another asteroid may be in for a close encounter with the planet Mars. The object, which has been named 2007 WD5, was discovered in November of this year. Astronomers believe it is roughly the same size as the one that caused the Tunguska event in 1908, and has a 1 in 75 chance of striking the red planet in January. The scientists state that these odds are unusually low, and they expect the odds to reduce further as more observations are carried out next month.

Quote: "If the asteroid does smash into Mars, it will probably hit near the equator close to where the rover Opportunity has been exploring the Martian plains since 2004. The robot is not in danger because it lies outside the impact zone. Speeding at 8 miles a second, a collision would carve a hole the size of the famed Meteor Crater in Arizona. In 1994, fragments of the comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 smacked into Jupiter, creating a series of overlapping fireballs in space. Astronomers have yet to witness an asteroid impact with another planet. "Unlike an Earth impact, we're not afraid, but we're excited," Chesley said.

The Shoemaker Levi 9 impact was probably the most photographed space event in the history of the universe. Telescopes from all over earth were focused in on the comet as it approached Jupiter, which at that time was probably around 800 million miles from Earth. The impacts from the comet left a visible "bruise" on Jupiter the same size our planet. The Mars impact, if it happens, will be a mere 70 million miles away. Significantly closer to home. As Chesley states, astronomers are excited about the prospect of an impact. The Bible says "the heavens declare the glory of God" (Psalm 19:1). The majesty of the heavens are awe-inspiring. There is something very powerful in witnessing the forces of nature, even when they can be so destructive. Praise God that He has designed our solar system in such a way that the gas giants of Jupiter and Saturn largely protect us from such destructive forces. But let us always remember that it is He that protects the earth, for He created the heavens and upholds them by the word of His power (Hebrews 1:3). And if He created them, then He will also judge them (Genesis 8:25). Trust in Jesus Christ for salvation, for He is a merciful God.

Revelation 11:18
And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.

Source Chron, NASA NEO

Scientists have warned that relatively small asteroids could pose a much bigger threat to mankind than first thought. Previous models on asteroid strikes were based on data from stationary nuclear detonations in earth's atmosphere. But a new computer simulation of an exploding asteroid in motion has revealed that smaller objects can produce more damage, as the energy from the blast is funnelled towards the ground rather than spreading out in all directions. On the 30th of June, 1908, an asteroid exploded near the Tunguska river in Siberia. The explosion lit up the sky and levelled around 1,250 square miles of forest. 

Quote: "At around 7:15 a.m., Tungus natives and Russian settlers in the hills northwest of Lake Baikal observed a column of bluish light, nearly as bright as the Sun, moving across the sky. About 10 minutes later, there was a flash and a loud knocking sound similar to artillery fire that went in short bursts spaced increasingly wider apart. Eyewitnesses closer to the explosion reported the sound source moving during each barrage, east to north. The sounds were accompanied by a shock wave that knocked people off their feet and broke windows hundreds of miles away. The majority of eyewitnesses reported only the sounds and the tremors, and not the sighting of the explosion. Eyewitness accounts differ as to the sequence of events and their overall duration.

Scientists originally believed the Tunguska asteroid to be around 100 feet in diameter with a mass of 560,000 metric tonnes. But based on this new data, scientists estimate a smaller object of around 65 feet in diameter and around 140,000 metric tonnes could have produced the same devastation.

Quote: "The space rock is thought to have blown up above the surface, only fragments possibly striking the ground. Now new supercomputer simulations suggest "the asteroid that caused the extensive damage was much smaller than we had thought," Boslough said. Specifically, he and his colleagues say it would have been a factor of three or four smaller in mass and perhaps 65 feet (20 meters) in diameter. The simulations run on Sandia's Red Storm supercomputer — the third fastest in the world — detail how an asteroid that explodes as it runs into Earth's atmosphere will generate a supersonic jet of expanding superheated gas. This fireball would have caused blast waves that were stronger at the surface than previously thought.

In a recent report in the New Scientist journal, Dr Mark Boslough warned of the danger that the Tunguska event could be repeated, only this time over a dense population centre. He said, "It is becoming clear previous models are not right. If one of these events hit an area of high population density, it could kill a million people". Just this past week an asteroid named 2007 XB23 passed within 65,000 miles of earth, or around a third of the distance between the moon and the earth. It's estimated size is just 10-23 metres, but if such an asteroid were to impact in a major population centre, you can just imagine the chaos that would ensue. The Bible seems to indicate that the earth will be struck by a devastating meteor shower early on in the tribulation period. One third of earth's vegetation will be destroyed in the initial impact. That's if the hail and fire mentioned in these verses are from outer space. A large asteroid will strike the sea, destroying the ships and a third part of sea life. The world watched in awe as Shoemaker Levi 9 struck Jupiter over a period of days. One day they will watch in terror as an asteroid strikes the earth. Isaiah foretells that one day, the earth will reel to and fro like a drunkard, and every island will be moved out of its place (Isaiah 24:20). Oh that men would repent of their sins, before these calamities come upon the earth.

Revelation 8:7-9
The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up. And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.

Isaiah 24:17-20
Fear, and the pit, and the snare, [are] upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth. And it shall come to pass, [that] he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake. The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.

Source Wikipedia, Space, Scotsman

The strange phenomenon that brings all these people together is the ion plume—"a newly discovered form of space weather," says University of Colorado atmospheric scientist and Workshop co-organizer Tim Fuller-Rowell.

This link from my friend Olli-Pekka. In ancient times comets were once thought to be the harbingers of doom, signalling an end to the reign of kings and bringing with them the promise of plagues and pestilence. Much of the superstition surrounding comets may have disappeared with the increase in scientific knowledge, but the heavens are still capturing the minds of many in our world today. A comet in the constellation of Perseus is causing quite a fuss. Comet Holmes remained virtually undetectable until October 24th, when it increased in brightness by a million times within the space of a few hours. The comet can now be seen by the naked eye, and its dust cloud continues to expand to where it is now half the diameter of the moon. 

 Quote: "The comet, which follows an unusual orbit between Mars and Jupiter, is a million times brighter than normal, according to Sky and Telescope Magazine. Comet Holmes has undergone a dramatic, and unexplained, increase in size. It is now visible easily to the naked eye as a brilliant ball in the north east night sky. Its sudden activity -- the comet began its outburst Oct. 24 -- has captured the imagination of amateur astronomers around the world, including Ottawa's Shane Finnigan. On every clear night for the past week, sometimes past midnight, Mr. Finnigan has been in his backyard, watching the comet through his 120-millimetre telescope. "It just keeps getting bigger and bigger," said Mr. Finnigan, 43, a member of the Ottawa Valley Astronomy and Observers Group. "This is the talk of everybody in astronomy right now because it's quite an unusual comet."

The book of Genesis tells us that the heavens were created to mark signs, seasons, days and years (Genesis 1:14). We have a few signs already mentioned in the Scriptures, for example the Magi saw "His star" in the east, announcing the birth of the King of the Jews (Matthew 2:2). The Lord also states that the days prior to His Second Coming would be characterized by signs in the heavens. 

Luke 21:25-26
And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

The thought just occurred to me... Just as the Lord's birth was marked by a dramatic event in the heavens - the appearance of a new star or perhaps supernova as some have thought, perhaps the Lord's Second Coming to earth will also be marked by a similar event in the heavens. Following the time of Jacob's trouble, the Lord states in Matthew 24:30 that there shall appear the "sign of the Son of Man" in heaven. And when those dwelling on earth witness this sign, they will realize that the coming of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords is at hand. Whatever that sign is, it seems it will be clearly distinguishable to those on earth as being "His sign". And then shall all the tribes of earth mourn. Why? Because He is coming back to judge the world in righteousness, and they have left it too late. Present day events reveal to us how close we are to Christ's Second Coming to the earth. But I believe their remains no prophecy to be fulfilled before Christ's coming to the air for His Church. Are you part of the Bride of Christ? Have your sins been forgiven through faith in Jesus Christ? Don't leave it too late. 

Matthew 25:10-12
And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

Source Canada, Space Weather